re: Personal Rate of Return from 01/01/2012 to 12/31/2012 is 16.8%

My ROR in my 401K this year was part of my long term aggressive growth strategy (I have not changed it much at all over the past 2.5 - 3 yrs). Outside of 2008/2009, I averaged just under 20% yty returns in my 401 K since 2004. I have no bonds or individual stocks in my 401K (those are in my personal and IRA accts) - rather I have a choice mixture of domestic and international growth MF's mixed with large cap based funds (60% or so) then the rest with Mid-Cap (some small-cap) and foreign real estate MF's.

Additionally I've been focusing on "smart" old school buy/hold stocks (see Warren Buffett) that are large stable companies with strong fundamentals at cheap prices - see IBM, Apple (prior to mid-pt 2012), XOM, CVX, Coke and other large/fast growing IT and Healthcare companies. Since I'm 5 months into my International EMBA (@ UNC), I'm also being exposed to a number of other growth oppty's which I plan on taking advantage of in 2013 and beyond (bio-tech, Big Agriculture, small finance).

My background: I'm 31 and been working for a Fort. 15 company for 8 yrs out of LSU. Oh, and I'm a big Money Board lurker and enjoy reading all of you guys' posts - good, bad and the ugly. ;)