What are some of the Best, Low Risk Investments for 5 to 10 Years out on 100K initial investment ?
404298
Go to the bank and buy I bonds. They are risk free, and will keep up with inflation as measured by the CPI.
1147648
Stay away from Edward Jones and other neighborhood brokers.  They will fleece you completely with their 6% load fees and 5% / stock transaction.  \n\nFidelity is an excellent company.  Look into the 2040, if this is the year you want to retire or 2035.  These funds have been around for a long time and have no loads or fees associated with purchasing.  If you purchase 10K of the 2035 fund in your Roth, you get 10K worth of assets, dollar for dollar.\nExcellent website: www.fidelity.com
69896
If you want to play it really safe invest in Series I Savings bonds which should do well, even under the the conditions described. If you are willing to take a little more risk in exchange for the possibility of higher returns, also consider International bonds, gold, silver, and timber REITS, which should also do well under these conditions. (For example, buy shares of American Century International bond fund, Central fund of Canada, and Rayonier, and Plum Creek.
450413
First I recommend, be patient.  No need to make any quick decision(s).  Keep an open mind, and listen to suggestions.  Think for yourself then, and you will make the appropriate decision.  Look at your circumstances.  If it is a windfall, and not needed right now, take $10000 of it and find a no-load mutual fund as an investment.  Then leave it alone and your investment ought to double about every 7 years.  That is what us "little" people do.  A no-load fund means, no fees to buy and no charges when you sell later on.  Hold the remaining $5000 and think some more.
398114
There are lots of mutual funds that will take $100 to get you started.  So a search in Yahoo Finance or MSN for funds that start with a min investment of $100.  I have been an investment advisor for over 23 years.
7671
Depends on your risk/investment profile. Lowest risk and lowest return: CDs. Highest risk and highest return: stocks, real estate, (some) business franchises (e.g. restaurants). Somewhere in the middle are mutual funds which many believe to be the best combination of risk/return; there are a variety of funds for every investment profile, so-called index funds (tracking the broad market trends and thus fairly safe) would be my recommendation. Yahoo Finance has coverage on many top mutual funds and you can click from there.
517192
Buy a diversified series of mutual funds. Individual stocks are just way too risky in most cases, especially for novice investors, even if they look like a sure thing.  How are Enron and Worldcom doing right now?\n\nMake sure you hit all the assets classes, like Large cap stocks, small/mid cap stocks, international stocks, emerging markets stocks, government debt, corporate debt, hi-yield debt, foreign debt, emerging markets debt, real estate, commodities, and precious metals. That's 12 categories right there, so let's say you get started with with $1200, you're talking about $100 each. \n\nThen sit back and rebalance each year, back to your original percentages. This is called asset allocation. The thinking being, what's BEEN hot is more than likely not going to STAY hot. All markets, after all, are cyclical.  This is why people who invest their 401(k) by just putting in whatever's had the most recent best numbers never get anywhere--they're investig in something that DID will and IS probably NOT doing well.\n\nThis sort of portfolio should average 8-12% per year, so just split the difference and say 10%. Will it do 10% EVERY year? Of course not. I'd be surprised if it ever did EXACTLY 10%. That's an annual average. With that average, your money should double roughly every 7 years. \nSo, in 7 years you should have about $2,000\nin 14 years you should have about $4,000\nin 21 years you should have about $8,000\nin 28 years you should have about $16,000\nin 35 years you should have about $32,000\nin 42 years you should have about $64,000\nin 49 years you should have about $128,000\nin 56 years you should have about $256,000\nin 63 years you should have about $512,000\nin 70 years you should have about $1,024,000!\n\nOf course, if you keep adding money in, say $100 a month, you'll become a millionaire MUCH sooner. The key is discipline, and sticking in when markets are up OR down. Don't try to time the market--you'll NEVER get it right.\n\nHere's a handy formula:\n\n$100/month x 12% retutn x 20 years = $100,000.  \n\nSo if you invest $300 a month, you can expect to have $300,000 or so in 20 years, depending on what return you get.  And remember, even if you stop there, that money itself will double again in 7-10 years, depending.  Then double again.  Then double again.  You get the idea.\n\nIn short, you can make a HELL of a lot of money, with a small output on your part, if you do it right, and are patient.\n\nOh, and if you qualify, and do this all in a Roth IRA? Then every penny will be 100% TAX-FREE. That's a deal that's too good to pass up. That's why I tell all my under-30 clients--if you make under $90,000, and therefore qualify to do a Roth, you'd be a fool not to. Just having the power of youth (and therefore time) on your side is such an advantage, to squander it would be such a waste!\n\nHope this helps!\n--J.\n\nP.S. The previous answerer's advice about contacting Edward Jones is gold.  I would go to their website at www.edwardjones.com, enter your zip code, and find the closest office to you.  Chances are there's one within 10 miles.  They have 10,000 office in the US, UK, and Canada.  And they will take care of you right if you decide you don't want to go it alone.
886902
I'd tell you to invest in some good education.  With the added knowledge, you're most likely to have future $100's go much further, more quickly, than risking this first $100 in an investment.\n\nA couple good books to consider:\n\nHow to make money in stocks by William O'Neill\nMastering the trade by John Carter\nTrading in the Zone by Mark Douglas\n\nHope that helps!
1148416
The only "risk free" investment is Treasury bonds.\nTime shares are not nvestments.
1065155
I would buy an investment property or two, then put the rest in some type of money market fund earning an average of 10% or more. The Rule of 72 states that any money invested @ 10% will double every 7 years.\n\nIf you used 100k of that 400k, on down payments on one or two investment properties to create you some month to month cash flow, and build long term equity. Then the other 300k in a fund, in seven years you'll have 600k, 14years 1.2mil, 21years 2.4mil; geez your retired good for you!!
164845
I own and recommend the following mutual funds without hesitation to anyone, for any situation and length of time. These are the first funds in which I invested, and I've owned them all for 3.5 to 4 years. I have ranked them from highest to lowest 3 year return.\n\nBUFSX\nCAAPX\nMVALX\nDODBX\nOAKBX\n\nI advise you to do your own research and comparisons at Morningstar.com.
221386
Fidelity Diversified International Fund.\n\nI've been doing VERY well with it.  The fast growth is going to be found overseas for the next 10 years or so, so put some money to work outside the US.  Keep yourself diversified, but if you're not overseas, this is a good choice.  [note, if you do lose money, I'm sorry but I will too]
658613
There isn't one.  Any investment promising that kind of return is either lying or so risky that you are much more likely to turn your $1000 into $1.50.  You don't get something for nothing.
288128
I suggest stocks, mutual funds and ETFs.\n\nDrop me a line if you need more detailed information.
673311
Getting an education is a great investment in yourself, and being cautious with your investments is wise, but don't ever let anyone tell you that low income families shouldn't invest in the same types of opportunities that anyone else could.\n\nPeople with very low incomes have made themselves into millionaires by a combination of responsible spending and thoughtful investing.\n\nThe best place to start with small balances is mutual funds.  As long as you stick with mainstream funds, you should be fairly safe.  Don't expect a straight upward line, but over time, on average, you should expect the long-term results to be strong over the long run.\n\nMeanwhile, as you build up your portfolio, you can be reading and learning more about investing for the future. By the time you outgrow mutual funds, perhaps you will know more about the different stock market decisions you will need to make.  Perhaps hiring a financial advisor would be wise at this point, or perhaps you can go on your own with your newly acquired knowledge.  \n\nConsider books by Peter Lynch, Jeremy Siegel, and Benjamin Graham as some of the best sources.  \n\nBest of luck to you.
1123074
Put $100,000 into a bank.\nPay off all my debt.\nBuy things I need (like new car or a new home)\nBuy some real estate.\nInvest the rest into Traditional IRA (you don't qualify for Roth IRA), mutual funds, stocks and bonds, education plans (if you have kids), and variable annuities.
786753
A great stock for beginners, and for 75 + % of all investors, is:VFINX. Okay, it's not really one single stock, but rather a collection of stocks; an Index Fund. This index fund buys all the stocks in the SP 500 according to their individual weightings. This is a great first investment because the investor gets exposure to all stocks in the SP 500 in one purchase. The other perk to owning index funds is that the fees associated with them are extremely low compared to mutual funds. This is because mutual fund managers select any stocks they want, as opposed to the strict rules of index funds, which, in the case, is concentrated in the SP 500. This sounds like a disadvantage; however, the numbers don't lie - mutual funds underpreform the SP 500 by 1-1.5 % over time. An index is a better choice than a single stock because your money does not ride on the prospects of one single company. In fact, this investment in VFINX will probably rise between 8-12 % annually for the next ten plus years. I recommend an index fund to most investors, not just beginners, because again, historically, index funds have returned a higher annual rate, AFTER EXPENSES, than mutual funds. In fact, VFINX has beaten 75 % of the other funds available, BEFORE EXPENSES, during the last 10 years. After expenses, VFINX has beaten over 90 % of all funds. Finally, you don't have to "actively manage" this purchase (aka look at the stock market everyday - although you could!) because, again, you own a small percentage of 500 of the best companies in the US. All this adds up to a relitively safe, solid long-term investment.