Investment advice

[Ocktoepuss]

Lack of financial resources, can reduce the demand for money.

In other news, you can't kill a dead man!

December 2007, energy prices for the real impact comes with a significant reduction in height, began to decline in the housing shortage. The inflation tax in 2008 recession, some credit market turbulence in the distribution of the most common explanations for a stronger effect. Madoff said nothing, but he sent this is another explanation for the distribution of monetary policy, lower level. To emphasize the importance of the first functioning credit markets is called fiscal restraint, highlights the importance of money to create.

Traditionally, interest rates, tightening monetary policy, this means high. This is due to high interest rates, expenses and debts, the demand for lower cost. Tight monetary policy the Fed is determined by means higher prices.

These conditions, interest rates are very low. The bank does not want to, but despite the low interest rates, Al Qaeda got all the Sunni financing it needed. No problem the cost of credit loans. I feel a restrictive monetary policy, but this figure is very low.

Robocon, meet Drinking Out of Cups.

[DanS]

Unless you're getting your trades for free, the administrative costs of investing $270 are a killer. If you can wait a while until you have accumulated more money before making a trade, then do so.

I think that fund companies including Vanguard have minimum initial investments well over $270.

As for when you've accumulated a wad of cash in your brokerage account, I've bought iShares index ETFs and have been generally happy. I do IVV (S&P 500) and FXI (China Xinhua 25). Vanguard now also has ETF versions of its funds. You can pick the index in which you want to invest. Somebody your age can handle a great deal of risk in your portfolio, so a small company index or an emerging market index would be good for you. These would be much less risky than your current investments, but still fit your risky profile.

[Felch]

What kind of return do you expect on $270? Even an optimistic 50% return wouldn't make a dramatic difference in the purchasing power you have.

Well, no, it wouldn't. But like I said, I'm only playing around with this money. So far this year, I've gone from a $300 pile of cash, to a $270 pile of cash, with another $150 in stocks. It's a hell of a lot better than my savings account is doing.

Unless you're getting your trades for free, the administrative costs of investing $270 are a killer. If you can wait a while until you have accumulated more money before making a trade, then do so.

I think that fund companies including Vanguard have minimum initial investments well over $270.

As for when you've accumulated a wad of cash in your brokerage account, I've bought iShares index ETFs and have been generally happy. I do IVV (S&P 500) and FXI (China Xinhua 25). Vanguard now also has ETF versions of its funds. You can pick the index in which you want to invest. Somebody your age can handle a great deal of risk in your portfolio, so a small company index or an emerging market index would be good for you. These would be much less risky than your current investments, but still fit your risky profile.

My trades are $5 a piece, up to 100 shares. So if I can put ~$250 into something, that's only a 2% fee. Assuming that it gives me a somewhat decent return, I'll be happy. My 401(k) is entirely index funds, and it's made a hell of a lot more than 2% these past few months. I understand where you're coming from with a dollar wasted being a dollar lost (after all, that's why I like passively managed funds), but I'd rather have my cash working for me than sitting idle.

Any concerns on your part about a stock market bubble in China?

[DanS]

I don't know about the stock market in general in China (e.g., Shanghai). FXI is a collection of Hong Kong-listed stocks of large Chinese mainland companies. I'm neither adding to my position nor decreasing it. So this collection of stocks may be slightly overvalued, but not by too much in my rough estimation.

[Felch]

Cool, I think that's what I'll go with.

Thanks, y'all.

[Seeker]

Remember that the last bull market in gold was 800 or so. In 2009 dollars that's 2300 or so. So 1050 is still a buy. I bought at 750, and I'm still buying.

Basically, as long as Fed rates are in the 0.25% range gold is a wealth preserver. 3-5% sell. Good rule of thumb.

[Felch]

The Economist had an article on gold this week. Supply is slightly up, while demand for jewelry is down 13.8%. Unless there's been a major push in industry to use more gold, which is unlikely, it seems as though this is just another asset bubble. Hopefully you'll get out before it pops.