I'm giong to be straight forward, i know very little about investing, economics, and the like. However, I do have some cash on hand and am interested in starting to build a portfolio of investments. Does anyone have any suggestions on:

1) information for me to read

or

2) investments that they personally know work out well

thanks

12/6/2006 11:20:10 AM

use your 401k at work so you dont have to pay fees

12/6/2006 11:23:22 AM

Yahoo Finance and Fool.com to get some education.

Not saying these are the best just saying these are good tools to learn a few basic principles.

12/6/2006 11:26:42 AM

I use http://www.ingdirect.com as one of my online saving accounts as well as their mutual funds. I have other online savings accounts with http://www.emigrantdirect.com and http://hsbconline.com where I'll move my money around to the highest interest rate.

12/6/2006 11:27:45 AM

ive just got one with emigrant direct because im too lazy to deal with anything else right now. still not a terrible return for the effort.

12/6/2006 11:34:13 AM

^^^^i've already got the match going into my 401k at work.

12/6/2006 11:37:59 AM

If you really want to educate yourself, start with Benjamin Graham's "The intelligent investor". If you have more time, try "The Neatest Little Guide to Stock Market Investing" by Jason Kelly. I find the later very useful as he has summarized the investment strategies used by the bigwigs, from Buffet to Peter Lynch to William O'Neil.

^^^ Btw, how's the MF @ING working out for ya? I've been deliberating if I should jump on it..

[Edited on December 6, 2006 at 11:43 AM. Reason : ^]

12/6/2006 11:43:35 AM

I started it last May. It dropped around 500, but now I've netted about 250. I chose the aggressive portfolio, but it seems like the other two give a higher return. You can request a pamphlet that tells you how each of the portfolios are doing.

12/6/2006 12:57:51 PM

For reading, I suggest Benjamin Graham's "The Intelligent Investor"
Get the edition with Jason Zweig commentary provided.

Fool.com will provide some insight, but don't go rushing into every choice they give you.

Definitely do up to the match in the 401(k) which I think you already said you were doing. Also, tell me what the funds are for. Are you planning to buy a house, pay for kids, etc. or is this strictly for retirement investment.

If so, I'd lean towards the Roth after the match, but I don't know your tax bracket.

ETFs are a pretty good idea as well as many no-loads that have a good track record for the MANAGER, not the fund. Anything that has a Davis managing it is a pretty good idea.

Are you wanting to get into individual stocks or mainly funds? My suggestion is to go with only funds unless you enjoy stock picking, in which case investing most in funds but picking a few stocks is a good bet.

12/6/2006 1:38:06 PM

thanks bg. yeah this will strictly be for retirement purposes, the earlier i get a good start, the earlier I can retire.

can anyone give me an overview of what The Intelligent Investor covers?

12/6/2006 1:59:25 PM

read a random walk down wall street too.

12/6/2006 3:53:26 PM

Quote :

"Among the library of investment books promising no-fail strategies for riches, Benjamin Graham's classic, The Intelligent Investor, offers no guarantees or gimmicks but overflows with the wisdom at the core of all good portfolio management. The hallmark of Graham's philosophy is not profit maximization but loss minimization. In this respect, The Intelligent Investor is a book for true investors, not speculators or day traders. He provides, "in a form suitable for the laymen, guidance in adoption and execution of an investment policy" (1). This policy is inherently for the longer term and requires a commitment of effort. Where the speculator follows market trends, the investor uses discipline, research, and his analytical ability to make unpopular but sound investments in bargains relative to current asset value. Graham coaches the investor to develop a rational plan for buying stocks and bonds, and he argues that this plan must be a bulwark against emotional behavior that will always be tempting during abrupt bull and bear markets. Since it was first published in 1949, Graham's investment guide has sold over a million copies and has been praised by such luminaries as Warren E. Buffet as "the best book on investing every written." These accolades are well deserved. In its new form--with commentary on each chapter and extensive footnotes prepared by senior Money editor, Jason Zweig--the classic is now updated in light of changes in investment vehicles and market activities since 1972. What remains is a better book. Graham's sage advice, analytical guides, and cautionary tales are still valid for the contemporary investor, and Zweig's commentaries demonstrate the relevance of Graham's principles in light of 1990s and early twenty-first century market trends. --Patrick O'Kelley --This text refers to the Paperback edition. "

Intelligent Investor according to Amazon.

About Random Walk, while it is a fantastic book that I have in my collection and really enjoyed, there isn't really much practical use for reading it for MrNiceGuy. I'll save you the effort:
If the market is reasonably efficient, only really big institutions can beat it.
If it is pretty efficient, only people with inside information can beat it.
If it is perfectly efficient, no one can beat it (all of those exclude lucky investors).

Invest all your money into Index Funds with low costs, no manager is worth the extra expense.

There, you don't need to read that now.

If it is all for retirement, I'd think contributing up to the match in the 401(k) would be good and then maxing out a Roth (which is an option unless you make ridiculous amounts of money).

12/6/2006 5:05:44 PM

Does Huggard still teach Personal Finance at NCSU? If so, take it is possible.

12/6/2006 5:47:42 PM

don't buy stuff you cannot afford.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=aIm8Mfo4_Fk

including such tips as:
- if you don't have any money, you should not buy anything
- you shouldn't buy stuff if you don't have the money
- you make sure you have money, then you buy it
- if you don't have the money, don't buy it

12/6/2006 5:49:51 PM

Thrift Savings Plan.....




YAY for Fed Gov Jobs!

12/6/2006 7:18:08 PM

You don't need a Federal Government Job to get a Thrift Savings Plan. The monetary equivalent is available to all citizens. I would start here http://www.savingsbonds.gov/

If you aren't aware of Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) or anything about Savings Bonds, I recommend starting your research focusing on the largest business in America - the government.

12/6/2006 8:51:16 PM

BUS 225 HUGGARD

12/6/2006 9:08:48 PM

^second that (is he still around? i though he was gonna retire this year?)

12/6/2006 10:29:01 PM

I'm currently taking Huggard's Bus 225 course through distance education (dvd lectures). I'm not sure of the schedule for on campus classes.

12/7/2006 2:11:03 PM