Investment Scorecard - YTD

I would actually put it in their strategic equity fund first and then flesh out your portfolio.

One thing I'm doing with my long term approach is that while target date fund is a significant portion of retirement funds, it's not the primary.

I'm shooting for around 40% allocation into it.

Why?

1) I don't want to have the fund have the majority of my money (a tempting prospect as its designed as a hands off one fund option) as when it shifts allocation later in life, it will do so with no consideration of the market at the time. Might sell stocks when they are low to buy bonds when they are high.

2) I don't feel my retirement money should go that heavily conservative allocation at start of retirement. But you obviously have a need for a portion of your nest egg conservatively allocated. I'm putting enough aside that the conservate target date funds will last for at least 10 years with no additional funding. I will trickle from more aggressive stocks and holdings into that conservative income fund as I see fit.

Strategic equity is a better fit for this because of the more appropriate allocation (STAR is 40% bonds and you are too young to be that heavily into them) with a lower expense ratio to boot.

Don't be fooled by the similar returns, STAR is inflated by the low interest rates which won't last long term.

If you look prior to the 2008 crash to 2001, STAR yielded 7.4% and strategic equity yeilded 11.4%