Investing Money

I just thought I would start a thread looking at the available options for trying to save or else invest money. I have to admit that I am rather clueless in these areas. I was messing about with this retirement planner thing earlier and was pretty impressed by the percentages they have on returns from investments and savings. You can have a look at that planner by just clicking on the link below.

Retirement Planner - MSN Money

A return of about 9% seems very good to me. I have only ever really used savings accounts to store my money and the returns are pretty puny. I got just over 4.5% last year and this year just 4%. So my question is, what do you have to do with your money to be getting higher returns. I don't really know too much about all that stuff really. So, just thought I would ask what some of you are doing to get higher returns and hopefully spark some interesting discussion.

The more % you get the more risk there is of some tycoon spending it all for you declaring bankruptcy and you left with ziltch. goverment backed things are the way. Some bank shares maybe. Gold is stable. look for the guarentees you get; the less of them, gets more % but you can lose the lot.

You cant really lose investing in your own piece of land like where you can see a city growing and heading out towards it.

So long as you can afford the repayments and so long as you dont sell if the land price drops for a while, you will be doing great in long run.

Out here we have a goverment backed first home owners scheme where they put in alot of cash towards it for you, It was like over 15 grand for free, now I think its even more,they did this to stimulate the econemy and get new building underway again. Australia is just a giant work site really,lots of growth still.

If you play the markets ,know about the product and company you are buying into study up and think it out in real terms, if you dont and you trust others with your hard earned cash think of it like you are puting it on a horse that is going on a three year race.

Pokerstars.com.

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Originally Posted by Andre

The more % you get the more risk there is of some tycoon spending it all for you declaring bankruptcy and you left with ziltch. goverment backed things are the way. Some bank shares maybe. Gold is stable. look for the guarentees you get; the less of them, gets more % but you can lose the lot.

You cant really lose investing in your own piece of land like where you can see a city growing and heading out towards it.

So long as you can afford the repayments and so long as you dont sell if the land price drops for a while, you will be doing great in long run.

Out here we have a goverment backed first home owners scheme where they put in alot of cash towards it for you, It was like over 15 grand for free, now I think its even more,they did this to stimulate the econemy and get new building underway again. Australia is just a giant work site really,lots of growth still.

If you play the markets ,know about the product and company you are buying into study up and think it out in real terms, if you dont and you trust others with your hard earned cash think of it like you are puting it on a horse that is going on a three year race.

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I wouldn't mind owning some property but I wouldn't want any here because it is all high rise apartments and they typically get redeveloped every twenty years or so. They are very poorly built. It's not a sound investment at all. You own a space in the sky and eventually the government will offer you meagre compensation to get out and if you dig your heels in will then get the mafia to turf you out. The property market is grossly inflated here as well with property prices being way above what they are actually worth. They all look like the housing projects from poor areas of the US. I don't know what the attraction is, but that's what they are all into out here. Instead we pay a large deposit and live rent free for the year, and at the end of the year you get back your deposit. A lot of people do that these days. It does make sense financially, but is quite different from anything I ever had in the UK.

Savings accounts are all well and good but with inflation running rampant here at well over 10% my return of 4% isn't even keeping up with the costs of living. Need to do better somehow. Stocks and funds look interesting, but like you say it can all be a bit of a russian roulette. Quite scary, and I don't want to be one of them that jumps out of the window after taking a heavy blow. :-X

I would quite like to own property in the UK, but seeing as I'm seldom there it would be really difficult to manage things. We do own some land in the Korean countryside as a result of my father in laws untimely death, but unfortunately it's value is very low and shows no sign of rising. Nobody lives in the countryside these days and nobody wants to buy land there. I wouldn't mind keeping it and building a house there one day so I can retire and grow potatoes.

You should get on to Amazon and order a couple of Robert Kiyosaki's books.. I love them and cover all the basics of making money and investing, but it just gives you a real core understanding so you feel confident that you are aimed in the right direction with your money... they are interesting to read, not to technical etc...

In fact we savvi people can probably find a place to download them.. i might have a look for a link... But the first one is "Rich Dad Poor Dad" which is all the basics, "Cash Flow Quadrant" is the second which describes how to get yourself out of being JUST an employee, and moving towards having other forms of income and assets that make you money, then "Guide to Investing" is the third book in line and that is probably the one that will be good for you with where you are at.... But those trio of books I think should be standard reading for every human being who has a job and wants to one day have a bit of financial freedom...

Good luck whichever way you go..

Here ya go buddy...

The other suggestion I have is go make an account at the forum Self-Made VIP - Self-Improvement, Success, Financial Freedom It is an upload forum where everyone shares (no pun intended) stuff regarding finance and making money, but just about anything about being successful...

Here are the Robert Kiyosaki books I was talking about.. Nothing like having a hard copy in your hand, but if you get a chance to read these books in any form you'll be really happy and really clear on what you want to do next..



http://selfmadevip.com/forum/download/file.php?id=217

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http://rapidshare.com/files/856897/kiyoski.zip
Password: www.selfmadevip.com or selfmadevip.com

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http://selfmadevip.com/forum/download/file.php?id=3843

THE CASHFLOW QUADRANT will reveal why some people work less, earn more, pay less in taxes, and feel more financially secure than others. It is simply a matter of knowing which quadrant to work from and when. Have you ever wondered: * What the difference is between an employee and a business owner * Why some investors make money with little risk while most other investors just break even * Why in the Industrial Age most parents wanted their children to become medical doctors, accountants or attorneys...and why in the Information Age those professions are under financial attack Have you noticed that many of the brightest graduates from our universities want to work for college dropouts...dropouts such as Bill Gates of Microsoft, Richard Branson of Virgin Industries, Michael Dell of Dell Computers, Ted Turner of CNN Dropouts who today are the mega-rich of society. This book will answer some of these questions and also assist in guiding you in finding your own path to financial freedom in a world of ever increasing financial change.

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http://rapidshare.com/files/134346848/Rich_Dad-s_Guide_To_Financial_Freedom_Cashflow_Quadrant.pdf
Password: www.selfmadevip.com or selfmadevip.com

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http://selfmadevip.com/forum/download/file.php?id=3837

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http://rapidshare.com/files/134334457/Rich_Dads_Guide_to_Investing.pdf
Password: www.selfmadevip.com or selfmadevip.com

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I always play it safe with guarantee returns on bonds which are safer. I have been burned leaving it up to the market. The fat cats screw you over no matter what they say otherwise.

Nice one, Diz! I will download some of that and maybe buy later on.

I really haven't got a clue about finance and managing money and it needs to change.

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Originally Posted by amat

Pokerstars.com.

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I`d own your soul. 4 realz. Durrrrifically.

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Originally Posted by Master

I always play it safe with guarantee returns on bonds which are safer. I have been burned leaving it up to the market. The fat cats screw you over no matter what they say otherwise.

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Too true. It's okay for those with millions to throw money around like confetti. But for regular types it's a serious business as that money is all one has. Whatever I do, I will always try to be careful as far as possible. Again, I know nothing about bonds either so will have to do some research.

no money to invest

whatever comes in usually goes out within the year on clothes, holidays, booze, women etc

i had a savings account for 6 years and managed to save up 5k, spunked it all away on a fiat that lasted me 6months before it broke down

message from this story - dont invest in fiats :(:(:(

The first commitment is:

If somebody offers you 8% of interest when the rest of the market offers 4-5%, BE reluctant and don't trust too easily.

I just had to figure out where to put my yearly savings in my 401(k), I'm going with more overseas investing this year (along with a little bit in Vanguard S&P 500) as I am 100% certain inflation will happen soon and therefore a World Bond Fund looked really nice to me.

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Originally Posted by Dizaster

Here ya go buddy...

The other suggestion I have is go make an account at the forum Self-Made VIP - Self-Improvement, Success, Financial Freedom It is an upload forum where everyone shares (no pun intended) stuff regarding finance and making money, but just about anything about being successful...

Here are the Robert Kiyosaki books I was talking about.. Nothing like having a hard copy in your hand, but if you get a chance to read these books in any form you'll be really happy and really clear on what you want to do next..



http://selfmadevip.com/forum/download/file.php?id=217

Code:

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http://rapidshare.com/files/856897/kiyoski.zip
Password: www.selfmadevip.com or selfmadevip.com

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http://selfmadevip.com/forum/download/file.php?id=3843

THE CASHFLOW QUADRANT will reveal why some people work less, earn more, pay less in taxes, and feel more financially secure than others. It is simply a matter of knowing which quadrant to work from and when. Have you ever wondered: * What the difference is between an employee and a business owner * Why some investors make money with little risk while most other investors just break even * Why in the Industrial Age most parents wanted their children to become medical doctors, accountants or attorneys...and why in the Information Age those professions are under financial attack Have you noticed that many of the brightest graduates from our universities want to work for college dropouts...dropouts such as Bill Gates of Microsoft, Richard Branson of Virgin Industries, Michael Dell of Dell Computers, Ted Turner of CNN Dropouts who today are the mega-rich of society. This book will answer some of these questions and also assist in guiding you in finding your own path to financial freedom in a world of ever increasing financial change.

Code:

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http://rapidshare.com/files/134346848/Rich_Dad-s_Guide_To_Financial_Freedom_Cashflow_Quadrant.pdf
Password: www.selfmadevip.com or selfmadevip.com

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http://selfmadevip.com/forum/download/file.php?id=3837

Code:

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http://rapidshare.com/files/134334457/Rich_Dads_Guide_to_Investing.pdf
Password: www.selfmadevip.com or selfmadevip.com

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I'm not a fan of Kiyosaki, what he says makes sense, but can be summed up very quickly.

Get rid of your debt and spend your money on things that pay you back.

Right now I am expanding my nest egg again because I plan on taking on a few more bills next year. My stock portfolio currently consists of mostly bond etfs (with dividend yields ranging for 4% to 11%) and the remainder temporarily in broad index etfs. If I was to be actively looking to do short term trades right now I would be playing a presumed decline in the value of the dollar by looking at commodities, specifically precious metals, more specifically silver.

If someone is looking to read a book on how to really make money in the market I recommend a few. The first that helps you understand the mindset of active traders in the market is:

Extraordinary Popular Dillusions and the Madness of Crowds by Charles Mackay.

The second book I would recommend is

How to trade in Stocks by Jesse Livermore.

My current theory is to have about 70% is secure positions and 30% in high risk speculation. There is a lot to learn and know, what makes it the most confusing is that everyone has a slightly different strategy and uses different indicators.

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Originally Posted by Lyle

I just had to figure out where to put my yearly savings in my 401(k), I'm going with more overseas investing this year (along with a little bit in Vanguard S&P 500) as I am 100% certain inflation will happen soon and therefore a World Bond Fund looked really nice to me.

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How often do you reallocate your 401k?

Fool.com: Stock Investing Advice | Stock Research is a great site for investment information. It's primarily U.S. based, but there is a lot of good basic material that applies anywhere.

If mutual funds are in your picture, then consider index funds. In general they outperform managed funds when you take into account the management fees.

Diversification is important, don't put all your eggs in one basket,

Something my father (bless his soul) told me a long time ago. Never put more money in any single stock than you can afford to lose.

Another interesting rule of thumb my father told me. If you are trying to decide whether or not you should sell a stock, then consider the current market value of the shares, and ask yourself if you would invest that money into the stock if you didn't already own it. If the answer is no, then the logical thing is to sell, because it means you think the money is better spent elsewhere. Think about it. It's a great rule of thumb

Beware of over trading. Too many brokerage fees is a great way to piss away your profit margin.

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Originally Posted by killersheep

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Originally Posted by Lyle

I just had to figure out where to put my yearly savings in my 401(k), I'm going with more overseas investing this year (along with a little bit in Vanguard S&P 500) as I am 100% certain inflation will happen soon and therefore a World Bond Fund looked really nice to me.

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How often do you reallocate your 401k?

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Well the funds come up once a year, but I can change it whenever I want to.

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Originally Posted by Lyle

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Originally Posted by killersheep

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Originally Posted by Lyle

I just had to figure out where to put my yearly savings in my 401(k), I'm going with more overseas investing this year (along with a little bit in Vanguard S&P 500) as I am 100% certain inflation will happen soon and therefore a World Bond Fund looked really nice to me.

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How often do you reallocate your 401k?

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Well the funds come up once a year, but I can change it whenever I want to.

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I take it thats your retirment superannuation fund?

Is that 100% goverment backed out there so you can never lose on it?

Out here brokers have taken over the super funds and many of them of have gone down with that last crash. Hundreds of thousands of people lost their whole life savings and the high returns prior to the crash had them topping up their retirment super funds with their other cash,very sad,many older ones just die off soon after becuase they feel broken.

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Originally Posted by Andre

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Originally Posted by Lyle

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Originally Posted by killersheep

How often do you reallocate your 401k?

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Well the funds come up once a year, but I can change it whenever I want to.

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I take it thats your retirment superannuation fund?

Is that 100% goverment backed out there so you can never lose on it?

Out here brokers have taken over the super funds and many of them of have gone down with that last crash. Hundreds of thousands of people lost their whole life savings and the high returns prior to the crash had them topping up their retirment super funds with their other cash,very sad,many older ones just die off soon after becuase they feel broken.

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That is just awful, and that kind of horror makes me very reluctant to take too many risks. My savings accounts might be rubbish, but at least the money stays. The system is too complicated for the average working man who doesn't have time to sit down and analyse the it day in day out.

Another point you will need to consider are the tax implications, dependant on where you invest and how much time you are in that country etc.

Working in the finance industry I can only recommend that you find a financial advisor who is not specificially tied to one group and get advice that way if you are not up to speed with market trends.

I know a lot of people will call them all sharks etc but there are some good ones out there.

I save about £400 a month. I'm buying a brand new car next year which is worth £12,000. With what's in my account now, from what I'll have from now to July and the value of the car I'm driving now I'll easy have the cash.

Here's the car I'm getting in July next year.

New shape Ford Fiesta titanium. This colour but with 4 doors instead of 2.

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...t-side-588.jpg

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Originally Posted by hattonthehammer

no money to invest

whatever comes in usually goes out within the year on clothes, holidays, booze, women etc

i had a savings account for 6 years and managed to save up 5k, spunked it all away on a fiat that lasted me 6months before it broke down

message from this story - dont invest in fiats :(:(:(

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A Fiat Punto was it ? I've heard bad things about those cars.

Cheap Italian shite is what Fiat are :)

As for you Miles easy solution - Hide it under the floor board.

I'm being completely serious. My Uncle is a joiner/builder who runs his own business and makes very good money. He blags the taxman says he's making half. Never uses banks doesn't trust them. Pays everything cash only. All hidden under his bedroom floor. Has thousands there.

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Originally Posted by leftylee

I save about £400 a month.
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So your parents don't charge you for room and board then?

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Originally Posted by CGM

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Originally Posted by leftylee

I save about £400 a month.
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So your parents don't charge you for room and board then?

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They don't ask for it. But I give them cash for that. It doesn't go out the £400 though.

Been a long while.Had a bit of a 'situattion' with Uncle Sam stemming from a past job and then came the iffy investments catching up from my early 20's.Found some sound footing a few years back and have been steady investing in basically a solid nest egg.I prefere stacks of cash but need to make it work for me.Spent years renting which is azznine,money blown paying someone elses morgage.

Greetings, O wise friend. I am known as X on this forum, but I am really de Nigerian Minister of Finance.

I have recently brokered a very very very impotant deal involving Royal Dutch Shell and de opening of the Abaku-Ifajan region of our contry. Dis is a very oil rich area and total revenues are expected to be in excess of US$350million. The rate of return in dis monies will dwarf de figures that the ignorant bushmen on this website are squeaking about.

I have been nominated by His Excellency, Prince Badu Ajami, as the government representative in this operation and I have US$100million deposited in my account. My fee for this work is US$10million and I wish to remove this money from Nigeria and place it in another bank account overseas. It is only right that de small birds should also dip their beaks into de cool water for a drink every wonce in a while.

Now, you may not know this, but it is currently illegal to move money from Nigeria, my contry, and I approach you as someone who has been vouched for as a trustworthy pehson. I propose to conclude de following transaction with you, my must trusted business partner.

If you wire to me your personal bank account details, including sort code and mothers maiden name, i will wire you the full sum of US$10million, and I will then immediately withdraw $US8million to my other account. This will leave you with cleared funds, not held in escrow of US$2million as your finders fee for dis transaction.

Dis very good deal, and time is very much of essence. Please wire me details and we do business as partners in dis most urgent transaction. You can check my website on ILL MITCH -----|-|-|-|-|-|---- ILLMITCH.com to verify my bona fide person.

I look fowad to hearing from you

Your good friend

His August Excellency
Corneluis V. Obadernotheah
Minister of Finance
Obadanjo
Nigeria

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Originally Posted by leftylee

I save about £400 a month. I'm buying a brand new car next year which is worth £12,000. With what's in my account now, from what I'll have from now to July and the value of the car I'm driving now I'll easy have the cash.

Here's the car I'm getting in July next year.

New shape Ford Fiesta titanium. This colour but with 4 doors instead of 2.

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...t-side-588.jpg

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Girl's car ;D

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Originally Posted by leftylee

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Originally Posted by hattonthehammer

no money to invest

whatever comes in usually goes out within the year on clothes, holidays, booze, women etc

i had a savings account for 6 years and managed to save up 5k, spunked it all away on a fiat that lasted me 6months before it broke down

message from this story - dont invest in fiats :(:(:(

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A Fiat Punto was it ? I've heard bad things about those cars.

Cheap Italian shite is what Fiat are :)

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yes it was mate

only realised 3 months in that the dodgy gearbreak was down to a faulty engine that had been serviced and tested on several different motors and was thus in technical terms "knackered out"

Along with shit steering, a flatulent exhaust i pretty much just gave up on the thing and took a 3.5k loss within 6months from a local second hand trader who no doubt fixed it up and sold it on for a ridiculous profit:(:(:(

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Originally Posted by X

Greetings, O wise friend. I am known as X on this forum, but I am really de Nigerian Minister of Finance.

I have recently brokered a very very very impotant deal involving Royal Dutch Shell and de opening of the Abaku-Ifajan region of our contry. Dis is a very oil rich area and total revenues are expected to be in excess of US$350million. The rate of return in dis monies will dwarf de figures that the ignorant bushmen on this website are squeaking about.

I have been nominated by His Excellency, Prince Badu Ajami, as the government representative in this operation and I have US$100million deposited in my account. My fee for this work is US$10million and I wish to remove this money from Nigeria and place it in another bank account overseas. It is only right that de small birds should also dip their beaks into de cool water for a drink every wonce in a while.

Now, you may not know this, but it is currently illegal to move money from Nigeria, my contry, and I approach you as someone who has been vouched for as a trustworthy pehson. I propose to conclude de following transaction with you, my must trusted business partner.

If you wire to me your personal bank account details, including sort code and mothers maiden name, i will wire you the full sum of US$10million, and I will then immediately withdraw $US8million to my other account. This will leave you with cleared funds, not held in escrow of US$2million as your finders fee for dis transaction.

Dis very good deal, and time is very much of essence. Please wire me details and we do business as partners in dis most urgent transaction. You can check my website on ILL MITCH -----|-|-|-|-|-|---- ILLMITCH.com to verify my bona fide person.

I look fowad to hearing from you

Your good friend

His August Excellency
Corneluis V. Obadernotheah
Minister of Finance
Obadanjo
Nigeria

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;D I thought that was you.


Didnt you learn?
The last time you wrote to me,
I gave our local detectives mobile cell phone number as mine for you to contact me I never got another email.
I always wondered how that all went.