Agreed. Safe proven companies outperform CD returns and are much more liquid. Even still, with the assumed average age of this forum, there needs to be more educated risky allocations or you will never see larger returns than market averages. If you don't want to spend the time and money to go that path, investing in a diversified portfolio with proven strong and good dividend companies will vastly outperform any guaranteed return a longterm CD can offer.

 

I couldn't justify investing such a large amount of money into the stock market most of it is one big hypothesis.

 

I urge you to please spend some time researching and truely understanding it, as you are missing out on making your money work much better for you. If you research it, I think you will find a strong base and a better comfort level with it. You really have a lot to benefit, even if you choose to invest a small portion.

I mean this in no way as an insult to you and if you have looked into it already and don't like it, then your assesment is your own and who am I to tell you that you are wrong.

 

I mean my OP in this thread is probably a decent investment. My company matches 50% of what I put in. If I invest the max, $15k?, they will match half. So it would take roughly 7 years to invest it all. I would get interest on the large balance while putting it into the 401k, I would get interest on the 401k, and I would get essentially 50% return each time the company matches. Where else can you get a guaranteed 50% return?

 

I want one. In fact I want a goat more than the 3 bags of Cheetos.


When I went to Anguilla I saw they used goats to mow the grass along the roadsides. The goats would be tethered to a stake with about 15 feet of leader. If you came back by in a couple of hours, someone would have moved the goats down the road a little further. It was like that all day.

A goat tied to a stake in the yard would really hack off the neighbors.




As for the buttsecks, everybody knows sheep are better.

 

I have spent many many hours reading and watching jim cramer and I have in fact invested small amounts. I would probably split the funds 50/50 that i planned to invest.

 

That is a great investment. Never pass up free money that is basiclly a guaranteed return. What I was saying is that, even within your 401K, you should be investing in things other than CD's if you are still young. I would never pass up an opportunity to have matched 401K contributions.

Sorry to the OP. I will stop thread shitting.

 

That is HUGE! You should always max that out, even if it means living on canned tuna and PB & J sandwiches. That is free money, and a lot of it. Your employer is GIVING you $7500 a year and all you have to do is accept it? What an excellent opportunity!

 

The only reason I ask is i'm going back to the sand-box; as a private security contractor...I know i'll have that +/- a few grand, i'll be 22 at the time...My dad is a big advocate on TSP fund similar to 401K I guess but for government employee's. I still have mine from when I was in the Marine Corps and I plan on going back int othe federal government, so far I have 6K into retirement. The "G" fund I have nets 5% return over-all average. So I think 70K would give me a big edge to start, then maybe 10% of over-all income when I work for the federal government, lets say 10-15K a year, more like 25% nearing retirement age.

I also have been thinking investing in gold, I know it's all about diversifying your investments though...

I think I would have 12,611,692.25 after 50 years which doesn't seem right, maybe my calculations are off.

 

Dont do it!

The historical value of gold is pretty unstable, it will grow like crazy at random times then plummet.

 

Unfortunately I can't max it because of student loan payments, rent, other bills. I put in 10% right now and thats like $520/month. I'd need another $800 to max it, or like 25-30%. I'm still building up a emergency fund, so until that is fully in place I don't feel comfortable putting in more. At 25% my take home pay would be reduced $822/month and my contribution would be $1200/month. That would give near the 401k limit, but I just can't afford it because of student loans owning me at like $750/month. In a few years I might be able to do something like that when my salary has increased.

 

I just did the math, with 26 pay periods at 25% contribution I would be just under the 16.5K max. After bills I would be left with $250/month basically. Until I have like $5k in an emergency fund (getting close), I can't take the risk of "something" coming up and not being able to cover it. I've trimmed pretty much all the fat off my expenses in preparation of the loans coming into repayment again, so there is pretty much no room to free up any additional leftover pay.

 

That's what I did back in the day. Each year when I got a raise I bumped the contribution. I was adding in the raise, so it was money that I never had in my pocket so I never missed it. Within 2-3 years I had it maxed.

 

Don't do gold and don't do the G fund in the TSP. It's no different than buying gov't bonds or a CD. You might as well stick the money in a mattress. At your age (and mine) the G fund makes no sense. Use the handy dandy L plans that already allocate the money based on the expected year of retirement. L2040 for me!

 

I'm lucky in that I have made soooo many bad money choices when I was in high school and college that I've pretty much already learned all my lessons at 23. The miata is back to stock now and it will be staying that way. I'm sick of throwing money into it for it to just break. I'd rather drive a stock miata than work on a turbo miata that sits on jack stands >50% of the time. I also have a CRX HF and a Scion TC that I DD. I am getting rid of the TC soon to get rid of the payment and insurance. I own the miata and the CRX in the clear, insurance is dirt cheap, and both are easy to work on and super reliable stock. Unfortunately, the math I posted above for 25% accounts for the TC being gone. So its not too much help on the investment front yet.

 

most companies only match up to 5% of your salary... sometimes less.

and some just put in a fixed percentage even if you dont put in a dime.

still, if you qualify for a ROTH IRA or ROTH 401k, do that after you get the maximum "free matching" money. then you can pay your tiny little income tax now and nothing later

 

Gold and Silver.

 

This changing in the next 40 years before I retire worries me. It has a possibility, while not substatial, but it is still there.

 

Amen on that ****. Every car I have had has been a car I tinkered on nearly constantly. I've given up on the Miata for now. When money allows I will get a reasonable daily driver and make the Miata purely a weekend car (with reliable stock LS1), something I won't have to spend every other weekend working on it. I still have some lessons to learn in other respects, but the biggest issue with cars is pretty well solved.

 

I did have money in the L fund, until I lost 25% of it due to the bottom out in the economy lol