That's a good idea and a lot of malware depends on being able to write to where it is running from but it is not foolproof and if the O/S can read the drive then stuff can get off the drive.

For the really paranoid I would be tempted to download and burn a LiveCD (Ubuntu or the like) that will boot your Mac. Boot it from the LiveCD and then examine the contents.

You can then remove any potentially harmful Macintosh executables, Javascript or Flash exploits or infected files of other kinds.

Though it will require a bit of technical savvy to do all of that.

How can I check USB drive contents safely?
I'm in my mid-20's, and so I am aiming at long-term growth with higher risk in my portfolio.  My financial adviser is showing me some investment allocations that put my money in some growth, mid, and value-retention locations.  He doesn't seem to be taking into the equation the fact that I am putting a huge percentage of my paycheck into my home.

I know home values fluctuate, but long term, it seems to be a pretty good way to at least retain value, and at best make a small return.  If I am already contributing so much to my "home" investment, why would I also invest in stocks or bonds with a low rate of return, even though they are considered a "safe" part of my portfolio?

Update: I think the question really has two parts.

1) How does owning a home fit into my financial portfolio?  Most seem to agree that at best it is a hedge against rent or dollar inflation, and at worst it should be viewed as a liability, and has no place alongside other real investments.

2) How should one view payments on a home mortgage?  How are they similar or different to investing in low-risk low-reward investments?
