Cheers David. Was great to have a read of your thoughts on this...

Cheers David. Was great to have a read of your thoughts on this one! I guess being new to the investment game I'm still trying to figure out the right path for me moving forward. I have tried in the past to pick individual stocks and that didn't bode well for me! It turned me away from the market and I instead travelled to Europe more (haha!) and just was a bit of a lad with my money. It's only now that I'm on a good wicket professionally (after I decided to knuckle down a bit!) that I'm starting to think long term. I love my chosen career and im lucky enough to be in a profession where I can still have guaranteed work for 1-2 days a week after 50 if I choose to. But the goalposts have been set and I'd like to be financially free and independent by 50 and 'able' to retire if I choose to, or at least only have to work 1-2 days a week to keep cash and my sanity flowing. Your above comments are great to take on board! My only question is, with all the above information in mind, can one achieve those goals by say only investing in ARG and AFI over the next 20 years? I do have a couple of blue chip stocks in addition to the main 2 LICs of ARG and AFI but I bought them too high, and although still producing great dividends, are in the red individually on capital - Telstra being the biggest in the red. This is why I have the same view as you! I feel like it is playing darts by choosing individual stocks. Set and forget suits me to a tee but I'm concerned that I won't achieve my goals with just AFI and ARG? Perhaps I should look at another couple of LICs like the ones you suggest above? Or will the AFI/ARG train get me there?!