After all, as many might say, “if I had started when I was your age” is something young investors certainly don’t want to say in their middle-age years.
For those who don’t want to spend the time and energy needed to put together a portfolio that will at least perform on par with the overall indices, and don’t want to bother with the tax implications, stresses, and learning curve associated with such a strategy, I’d recommend taking a look at various passive investing strategies.
My personal take and perspective on investing, being far from retirement myself, is that young investors should start passive; that is, buying ETFs or funds for their primary holdings in retirement accounts.
This will provide the diversification needed to steer clear of having too many eggs in one basket, but should also provide decent growth. Then, as one gathers more knowledge on various companies and want to pick stocks, adding in some actively managed positions along the way isn’t a bad idea.