It depends how much we're talking but I'd just move it across and enjoy the higher Canadian interest rates. Trying to speculate on currency values when you have an interest rate that's around 400 basis points higher seems silly.

So I ran real good and had a great first year as a poker pro... After buying a car and paying taxes I'm gonna have 40k to invest

I was hoping to use it for a house downpaymnt but I broke up with GF... And might end up moving in the next year ...

23... Life in limbo
no debt, own a car
should make over 100k this year... Hopefully 200
40k to invest

Well ING direct is 1.2% for Canadian ISA and 0.75% for US$ ISA. Thats 45bp. Where do you come up with the 400bp?

Country you live in: USA
Risk Tolerance: high
Timeframe for investment: long
Debt: none
Any other information you might have that would help us: Have used the Bogleheads forum for advice and currently have this portfolio all at Vanguard:

10% IRA (maxed out for year)
50% Vanguard Total Bond Market Index VBMFX
50% Vanguard Inflation-Protected Securities VIPSX

90% Taxable
50% Vanguard Total Stock Market Index VTSAX
50% Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Index VFWIX

Main issues are:
1) Too much foreign? No foreign small cap
2) Not high enough bond %? Could move from 90-10 to 80-20 by keeping only TIPS in IRA and adding tax exempt bonds to taxable account?
3) Something about adding i bonds?

Other advice great too

So you're looking to keep $5k in cash and the $10k invest, but you are unsure about beyond 5 years but willing to accept risk?

I'd think doing something like $2000 into VTI, $3000 into VB, $2500 into VPL and $2500 into VWO. Vanguard Total US Stock Market, Vanguard US Small Cap, Pacific and Emerging Markets.

And for the $500/mo you have left over and extra - consider opening a Roth IRA depositing $416.66/mo into a Target Retirement fund from one of Schwab, Fidelity or Vanguard.

If the HELOC is tax deductible, I'd say the car. I'd split it between them though. Larger loans and their payments are interest on interest begin with, so cutting down the interest on interest payments is more helpful.

Unless you plan to continue to rent, I'd consider hanging onto the $40k. You might decide to get a condo.

With an admitted "life in limbo", the safest investment is cash.

But if you must put some away, I'd play it super simple with just a Total Stock Market and Bond fund, split 50/50. Until you know for sure whether you will or will not need cash for a down payment, its best to keep it safe.

1. If you weight the world investments by market capitalization, 50/50 is pretty much just right. Though one thing to consider is that many US companies make significant portion of their earnings from foreign countries, but in dollars...so a 50/50 US/World mix is in name only, it may actually be closer to 40/60 US/World. As for foreign small cap - unless you want to start Slice 'n' Dicing, don't worry too much about market caps.

2. Bonds. Most people advocate a "your age in bonds" - but really it comes down to more then that. The more you can invest, the less risk you need to take. But then you also need to weigh whether you'll have enough to retire on at certain weightings.

If you decide to go with a muni bond fund in a taxable consider that you likely still have to pay state taxes on the distributions unless you're from the state they were issued in.

3. I read the bogleheads forums also and have seen the uptick in I-Bond questions. http://www.treasurydirect.gov/indiv/...nds_glance.htm I have to admit I really don't know much beyond what I've read at that site. Sounds like a sound tax deferred TIPs type investment - just limited to $5k/year. If inflation takes off though and I-Bond tax codes don't change, the tax hit could be substantial and erode a lot of the gained value. *shrug*

As for the IRA - I'd maybe think about adding the REIT, VGSIX, at something like 20%.

Thx.

I have sufficient life/poker roll... The 40 is money I shouldn't need anytime soon unless I buy a condo .... But given my life status that won't be happening for couple years ... So shouldn't I be trying to maximize my EV wih an investment like stox

So $40k is literally money that could burn up and it wouldn't effect anything about your life and current plans?

"Life in limbo" tells me you aren't willing to accept risk because you "don't know what you're doing" - if that was poor interpretation on my part then OK, but the choice of words is important since thats all we have to go on here

If you're more willing to accept risk then an evaluation of small cap foreign and domestic growth funds and emerging markets should be added. Dial back the bonds to 5% or just eliminate them.

It would suck if it burned but basically ya it's my savings... I'd like to find a girl settle down and get married/ buy a house... My lifes limbo cus I was headed that direction but now breakup

I'm not really risk averse... But I might buy anhouse in 2 years. I might not

since I play poker I might need thatoney for house... But maybe I'll save enough so that I don't need it

Wow ramble, sry... I should just buy the highest ev index funds out there cus the variance is minimal compared to poker

So highest ev index fund ?

It's not that easy.

Hah yah I know... I'm jus looking for advice... Moneys jus sitting in a savings account right now

Hi all..

Country you live in: USA
* Income: $3000 a month
* Risk Tolerance: Low maybe Low/medium
* Timeframe for investment: 5 years to 20 years
* Debt: 13K auto loan
* Any other information you might have that would help us:

My main thing I'm looking for is an online savings plan that I can intermittently (sp?) deposit into from online banking. So when I get my frequent urge to mindlessly spend money online aka poker/itunes/etc.. instead i'll deposit it into my savings, the Roth IRA thing looks cool, any suggestions

* Country you live in

England

* Income

$5-10k per month

* Risk Tolerance

Fairly high. I want this to have a chance of making a nice return rather than just making like hardly any interest per year in a bank account.


* Timeframe for investment

Can be anything from short-term to long-term

* Debt

None

* Any other information you might have that would help us

I am a 22 year old student about to finish University. I make a decent amount from poker and want to invest this in something. I can afford to be investing a very large percentage of my income since I do not have many expenses at the moment.

I already own a property which I am renting out and would just like some advice on what the best thing I could invest in right now is considering I want something with at least some risk to yield higher returns.

Thanks

Its best to get into dollar cost averaging - it will help you get a budget in place as well as in the habit of investing. Its less painful than randomly deciding to invest.

$416.66/mo makes the maximum $5000/year Roth IRA investment. Its much easier then suddenly realizing at the end of the year that you need a few thousand to make the maximum contribution.

I'd recommend looking for a no cost, target retirement fund from Schwab or Vanguard.

Unless you want to take a much more active interest in the funds, a target retirement fund is the option to go.

Buy Gold bullion



based in USD monetary policy it should hit $2000 / oz in a few years

This looked so good, I bought it as soon as I read your post. I'm down like $50+ an ounce in a few hours... great work.

* Country you live in: USA -- Maryland
* Income: $4500/month
* Risk Tolerance: medium
* Timeframe for investment: 3 years or more
* Debt: none
* Any other information you might have that would help us:

I was looking at Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund Investor Shares VBMFX. It looks like its gaining 5-6%/year in the past, but should it be lower now that treasury bonds are yielding less?

Also, i was looking into the Vanguard Energy fund (VGENX)...would that be a bad investment?

Is it better to put money in once as a lump sum, or a little bit over a period of time?

Also, i have about 10k in western digital wdc and 7k in verizon...but now i hear its a bad idea for clueless people to own individual stocks. (i randomly picked those). should i be selling them and putting them in an etf?

give it a year you'll thank me



10 year gold vs USD

any possibility anyone has any advice for a swede looking to invest?

no idea if i get perks if i put the money in the swedish market or anything. no idea about anything really. im looking to invest between $50k-100k in 2010. i guess i want atleast some amount in some sure thing but other than that, im fine with a heft chunk of gamble...

thanks for the help nuclear. ive been on the vanguard site recently and all this new stuff is sort of overwhelming. is there a reason that you recommend ETFs over Index Funds? i dont plan to be very active with the accounts (just want to put the money in as a shortish term deal as opposed to it sitting in my checking account), so i was curious as to why you would favor ETFs over the index funds. thanks again.

Vanguards ETF's are simply trade-able versions of their mutual funds, many/most of which are index funds. The minimum entry fee for a Vanguard mutual fund is $3000 across the board unless the account is opened under a 529 Plan.

Additionally, ETF's have a lower expense ratio and on chance can be sold at a premium to NAV or bought at a discount to NAV. Mutual Funds are always bought at NAV.