Your child is just a few years away from going to college, and the acid in your stomach is churning.  You worry if you will have enough; you're mad that you didn't focus on this sooner.  Desperation is a dangerous thing.  It can cause reckless behavior -- a gambler's mentality of, "Let's try and hit it big!"  Of course, anything that can rocket can plummet; that's the way it is with investing. When any goal is short-term (5 years or less), the money needs to remain "safe".  You can't afford to Read on...