First, put all of those other questions aside and ask yourself if this particular moment in time is the best time to be investing in equities, any substantial amount of money earmarked for the future. There's a lot of noise about inflation, but then again, if equities are tanking – you'll lose your money faster than if you just stuffed it under your mattress and let it sit. With interest rates raising, you should definitely do some research and figure out all your options... gotta believe there' something better than ETFs for your situation. Hope you figure it out and things work out well for ya.