So if you had $50K to invest, where would you put it?

[VisualEcho]

Originally Posted by TheWatchGuy

i have no good investing tips, but howd you like the lotus? been looking at those for a little bit now.

I have loved the car from the first day I got it in 2009. But then again, I don't use it like most would. It has never seen a track, and never will. I appreciate driving the car for the way it makes me feel, not the numbers it can produce. I've also had great fun modifying it, here and there, with top level parts. It has been a joy, and may remain so, I just don't know yet.

[UncleWede]

Originally Posted by TheWatchGuy

i have no good investing tips, but howd you like the lotus? been looking at those for a little bit now.

There you go!! You two hash out the details, meet up in Vegas, deal!

[bimmer456]

Put it in the stock market and watch it double every couple of years. Then use it to buy some super cars if you want.

[PoorLurker]

Originally Posted by bimmer456

Put it in the stock market and watch it double every couple of years. Then use it to buy some super cars if you want.

Seriously!

Wait 10 years so it can double five times!

Then you can have
50
100
200
400
800k! You can get a couple nice cars and a house.

[grocerylist]

Originally Posted by PoorLurker

Seriously!

Wait 10 years so it can double five times!

Then you can have
50
100
200
400
800k! You can get a couple nice cars and a house.

I see some of us aren't familiar with the Rule of 72. On average it would take a little over 8 years to double your money with the average return of the S&P500 over time.

[bimmer456]

Originally Posted by PoorLurker

Seriously!

Wait 10 years so it can double five times!

Then you can have
50
100
200
400
800k! You can get a couple nice cars and a house.

800k will just get you a house in LA

[bimmer456]

Originally Posted by grocerylist

I see some of us aren't familiar with the Rule of 72. On average it would take a little over 8 years to double your money with the average return of the S&P500 over time.

Screw the S and P that return is wack. I have 114 percent return since 2015. S and P is around 65 percent in the same period.

[MKSixer]

Originally Posted by UncleWede

hookers and blow in Vegas, where you received cash from the buyer.

I knew if anyone beat to me, it'd be you!!

[N24SHS]

If i had $50000......aka £38,653.25 Pound sterling in hand, i would not invest it in a monetary way, i would invest it in another way....

.....it would pay a year of my daughters school fee's and have £8k to take her and my wife on holiday.

That would leave 3 people happy. Well worth the spend.

[Blade Protection]

I am biased towards real estate. 50k could make a good downpayment on a decent home or even a small 4 plex or similar in the right market. Make sure you have the right property management in places and set it and forget it.

One of the main benefits or real estate is the leverage that it can produce. Just make sure you pick a stable growth city with good long term job stability and do proper due diligence before you buy.

Many people caution against market drops but just like the stock market the value can go up and down. You only lose money if you sell when it is down or are forced out because you can't keep up on the payments. A good stable job market with decently low vacancy can help protect against this.

One benefit is that as the mortgage gets paid down over time you can always refinance as the market allows and pull money out or re-amortize over a longer term to increase cashflow depending on how your tax situation and cash needs look at the time.

[bimmer456]

Originally Posted by FullScaler

I am biased towards real estate. 50k could make a good downpayment on a decent home or even a small 4 plex or similar in the right market. Make sure you have the right property management in places and set it and forget it.

One of the main benefits or real estate is the leverage that it can produce. Just make sure you pick a stable growth city with good long term job stability and do proper due diligence before you buy.

Many people caution against market drops but just like the stock market the value can go up and down. You only lose money if you sell when it is down or are forced out because you can't keep up on the payments. A good stable job market with decently low vacancy can help protect against this.

One benefit is that as the mortgage gets paid down over time you can always refinance as the market allows and pull money out or re-amortize over a longer term to increase cashflow depending on how your tax situation and cash needs look at the time.

I put around $51k down on my crib a few years ago, biggest check I ever wrote. Definitely paid off as the crib is worth way more now and my mortgage is cheaper than rent by far. (Wasn't actually a check, it was a wire transfer).

[XutvJet]

Originally Posted by Run Silent

I would put it here:

https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/IVOG/performance?p=IVOG

https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/VOO/performance?p=VOO

^ Listen to him.

I've been investing in the market since the mid 1990s or so. I've weathered all the major financial storms during that time, I've lost a lot and I've gained a lot. Up until about 5 years ago, I had a financial adviser/broker at Morgan Stanley. I researched, read a couple of simple investing books, and learned that having an financial adviser/broker was a total waste (for me).

For most investors with sub $2M portfolios, investing is very simple. Warren Buffett's 15-minute Retirement Plan is KEY, spot on, and incredibly simple, and you will consistently beat most every financial adviser/broker recommendation over the long term.

"My advice to the trustee could not be more simple: Put 10% of the cash in short-term government bonds and 90% in a very low-cost S&P 500 index fund. I believe the trust's long-term results from this policy will be superior to those attained by most investors -- whether pension funds, institutions, or individuals -- who employ high-fee managers." - Warren Buffett

^This is all you need to do right now with $50K.

Most of my money (about 70%) is in Vanguard 500 Index Fund Admiral Shares (VFIAX) ("S&P 500 index fund"), 15% in stock (mostly Berkshire Class B), government bond funds (~10%), and the remainder in other types of low fee Vanguard index funds.

You really need to get your butt in gear planning for retirement because you're miles behind where you should be. Someone who is 49 should have around $300-500K in retirement funds and investing pretty aggressively.

At this point in your life, you need the following:

- 3 to 6 months of living expenses in cash
- Well on your way to paid off home or a paid off home
- $300-500K in investments and putting away 10%+ month (whether your money or employer shared like a 401K match)
- No major debt like a car, boat, credit card payments

[Joekerr]

Originally Posted by N24SHS

If i had $50000......aka £38,653.25 Pound sterling in hand, i would not invest it in a monetary way, i would invest it in another way....

.....it would pay a year of my daughters school fee's and have £8k to take her and my wife on holiday.

That would leave 3 people happy. Well worth the spend.

Hang on...the picture of your avatar - is that your daughter and is it pretty recent?

Because if so....30K GBP for daycare for one year....

[Dpc2u]

Not one to tell someone what they should do with their money, but Vanguard has been VERY good to me over the years.

[bimmer456]

Originally Posted by XutvJet

^ Listen to him.

I've been investing in the market since the mid 1990s or so. I've weathered all the major financial storms during that time, I've lost a lot and I've gained a lot. Up until about 5 years ago, I had a financial adviser/broker at Morgan Stanley. I researched, read a couple of simple investing books, and learned that having an financial adviser/broker was a total waste (for me).

For most investors with sub $2M portfolios, investing is very simple. Warren Buffett's 15-minute Retirement Plan is KEY, spot on, and incredibly simple, and you will consistently beat most every financial adviser/broker recommendation over the long term.

"My advice to the trustee could not be more simple: Put 10% of the cash in short-term government bonds and 90% in a very low-cost S&P 500 index fund. I believe the trust's long-term results from this policy will be superior to those attained by most investors -- whether pension funds, institutions, or individuals -- who employ high-fee managers." - Warren Buffett

^This is all you need to do right now with $50K.

Most of my money (about 70%) is in Vanguard 500 Index Fund Admiral Shares (VFIAX) ("S&P 500 index fund"), 15% in stock (mostly Berkshire Class B), government bond funds (~10%), and the remainder in other types of low fee Vanguard index funds.

You really need to get your butt in gear planning for retirement because you're miles behind where you should be. Someone who is 49 should have around $300-500K in retirement funds and investing pretty aggressively.

At this point in your life, you need the following:

- 3 to 6 months of living expenses in cash
- Well on your way to paid off home or a paid off home
- $300-500K in investments and putting away 10%+ month (whether your money or employer shared like a 401K match)
- No major debt like a car, boat, credit card payments

I've beat out the financial advisors and brokers who manage the mutual funds in my companies' 401k plan without even trying.

[XutvJet]

Originally Posted by bimmer456

I've beat out the financial advisors and brokers who manage the mutual funds in my companies' 401k plan without even trying.

Yeah, that "advisor" professional is a joke for most every typical investor.

[N24SHS]

Originally Posted by N24SHS

If i had $50000......aka £38,653.25 Pound sterling in hand, i would not invest it in a monetary way, i would invest it in another way....

.....it would pay a year of my daughters school fee's and have £8k to take her and my wife on holiday.

That would leave 3 people happy. Well worth the spend.

Originally Posted by Joekerr

Hang on...the picture of your avatar - is that your daughter and is it pretty recent?

Because if so....30K GBP for daycare for one year....

That pic is about 3 years old. She is now 5 and in her year 1 of primary school (year zero is the start year at age 4). I think you guys call it 2nd grade of elementary school. And yes unfortunately that is the cost, and it gets more expensive at the age of 11. Thats not including all the trips......and specialist uniform etc.

We are not lucky enough to have been able to have a second child, so we said that we would give our only one the best possible start in life with the best education we can afford, best holidays we can give etc.

[dinonz]

Interesting reading all of this. Seems this Vanguard is highly regarded by most of you and worth looking into.

Shortly I will have "mid 7 figures" to invest and was considering just putting it in my local investment where I make a pretty consistent 10% to 11% per year. It's a private company but it's been operating here for years, and out of state for even longer, and short of fraud it's pretty stable and relatively risk free.

But I think it would be wise to diversify and put maybe half elsewhere so I've been interested to read these comments. Are there limits on the size of account you can have? Are there better options if you have more than a couple of million in an account?

[bimmer456]

Originally Posted by dinonz

Interesting reading all of this. Seems this Vanguard is highly regarded by most of you and worth looking into.

Shortly I will have "mid 7 figures" to invest and was considering just putting it in my local investment where I make a pretty consistent 10% to 11% per year. It's a private company but it's been operating here for years, and out of state for even longer, and short of fraud it's pretty stable and relatively risk free.

But I think it would be wise to diversify and put maybe half elsewhere so I've been interested to read these comments. Are there limits on the size of account you can have? Are there better options if you have more than a couple of million in an account?

I have Vanguard through work it's like any other 401k plan. Not sure how competitive their fees are. I would go with any brokerage that gives you as many free trades as possible and low fee trades after that if you trade a lot. The number of free trades is often dependent on how much you have invested. If you are only investing a small amount you could look into the Robin Hood app but to make a decent amount of money you have to invest more. It takes money to make way more money lol.

[dinonz]

Originally Posted by bimmer456

I have Vanguard through work it's like any other 401k plan. Not sure how competitive their fees are. I would go with any brokerage that gives you as many free trades as possible and low fee trades after that if you trade a lot. The number of free trades is often dependent on how much you have invested. If you are only investing a small amount you could look into the Robin Hood app but to make a decent amount of money you have to invest more. It takes money to make way more money lol.

I don't have a 401K from work - am not a US Citizen (am a Resident Alien) so was avoiding having my savings locked until retirement (65 isn't it?).

I'm not sure I plan to trade a lot but then I have no idea how this works - I thought you bought into these funds then sat back and watched? I know people playing the money or share markets are more active, but that's really not where I want to be - I'd rather be driving one of my classic cars than deciding what stocks to buy and sell today. That's why I've considered just putting about $4M into this local investment and forgetting about it - less to think about, and I make about 11% pa. And while I feel it's super low risk, I'm sure others felt that about Bernie Madoff too - hence I was thinking I should split it a bit but I just know nothing about investing.

[bimmer456]

Originally Posted by dinonz

I don't have a 401K from work - am not a US Citizen (am a Resident Alien) so was avoiding having my savings locked until retirement (65 isn't it?).

I'm not sure I plan to trade a lot but then I have no idea how this works - I thought you bought into these funds then sat back and watched? I know people playing the money or share markets are more active, but that's really not where I want to be - I'd rather be driving one of my classic cars than deciding what stocks to buy and sell today. That's why I've considered just putting about $4M into this local investment and forgetting about it - less to think about, and I make about 11% pa. And while I feel it's super low risk, I'm sure others felt that about Bernie Madoff too - hence I was thinking I should split it a bit but I just know nothing about investing.

Yes I'm mainly buy and hold, don't trade that much but I take on higher risk and just ride out the fluctuation which has resulted in 114% return over 4 years. Just in the past month I made $25K but there are months when I lose money.

[dinonz]

Originally Posted by bimmer456

Yes I'm mainly buy and hold, don't trade that much but I take on higher risk and just ride out the fluctuation which has resulted in 114% return over 4 years. Just in the past month I made $25K but there are months when I lose money.

Yeah - that's where I'd have to learn to close my eyes and look again in another month.