With IRA's and 401(k)'s garnishing the most attention in the investment community, investors forget about the value offered from opening a good old-fashioned brokerage account. Most questions submitted by young professionals to the talking heads for leading money magazines and news channels deal with contributions to retirement accounts because that is what has been drilled into their psyche at an early age. Everyone hears "make sure you contribute to your 401(k) when you get that job" or "the tax breaks for contributing to an IRA are wonderful." And you know what, that advice is really good and I do recommend contributing as much as you can to your retirement accounts, but you need to diversify your investment accounts just like you diversify your investments in those accounts.
