Please don't get emotional, guys. It is okay that some people are more
agressive while others are more conservative when making investment
decisions. But in general, if you are not too old (>50), it is recommended
to put more money in stocks, rather than savings accounts or bonds. History
has taught us that stocks have the best performance in the long run.
Personally, I always max out my 403b with 100% in stock mutual funds. But my
wife is much more conservative and just started to make more significant
constribution to her 401k in recent years after my persistent persuation (
she is maxing her account now). For beginners, you may simply start with an
index fund (such as S&P) to park your money. These funds usually have very
low fees (<0.3%). I wouldn't recommend all cash, as that would give you a
net negative return. Bonds would be a better strategy than cash, although
not nearly as good as stocks in my opinion. Anyway, the bottom line is that
you have to be confortable with your investment, and don't lose sleep for
the bumpy stock market while there are other more important things to do (
tenure!).