money markets, mutual funds, IRAs, variable annuaties?
822041
money market:  It is basically a mutual fund that invests in very short term debt instruments.  Normally it pays interest rates that are about currently 4% to 5% annually.\n\nMutual funds: these are managed pools of investment money. There are quite literally thousands to choose from.  Some are good buy many are not so good.  For a beginning investor, mutual funds offer a good option for long term investment.  Look to these companies for a wide variety of funds.  Fidelity, Vanguard, T. Rowe Price.  Look to this company for a selection of funds that invests in small cap stocks: Royce Funds.  Look to closed end funds to find funds that sell at a discount to net assets, a big plus.  GAM is one.  SWZ is another.  Both have excellent records.   IRAs.  There are two different kinds.  Roth IRAs and Traditional IRAs.  Roth IRAs in general offer investors the advantage that money earned in a Roth IRA is tax free, a very big advantage.  You can deposit up to $4000 annually into a Roth IRA with certain income limits which most people do not have trouble meeting.  After tax dollars are what are deposited into a Roth IRA.  Traditional IRAs are different.  Money deposited into a traditional IRA is not taxed until it is taken out.  But all money earned by a traditional IRA is taxed at the regular tax rate.  So investments made in a traditional IRA are best made in such things that would be taxed at the full rate anyway such as stripped U S bonds for example.  Variable annuities:  These are sold by basically insurance companies.  The insurance company then invests the funds into mutual funds that invest in the stock market.  The money earned in a variable annuity is taxed deferred until the annuity comes due.  I am not too familiar with the due date ramifications.  Something like 5 years or longer.\n\nIn my opinion Roth IRAs are a great deal.  \n\nOne thing I did not mention.  There is a penalty for withdrawing IRA funds prior to age 59 1/2.
1062385
wow, uhmm perhaps the below?\nhttp://finance.ebookorama.com
700205
It depends on the interest rates, what instruments of investment your using and the apr rates.
823551
Mutual funds let you start with low amounts. If not knowledgeable an index mutual fund is best + is cheapest in internal cost. Schwab.com or 1 of the others makes opening an account easy. If no IRA - open 1 1st. I would chose a global index fund right now\n. SWINX if going with schwab
502652
E Trade is good, but you will have to pay every time you buy/sell a stock. Why not get a no load mutual fund invested in a Roth IRA (minimal openeing balance) at Vanguard or Fidelity. You are a great age to start an IRA.
630556
You definitely want to roll it over to a self-directed IRA, where you'll be able to invest in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, annuities, and yes, even CDs.  Stay away from the bank, their idea of a good return on an IRA is a 5% CD. No one under 55 should ever have CD's in their IRA, it's a waste of both your age (which can be a powerful weapon) and the IRA's tax-deferred status.  CDs are for much older people, or for money that needs to remain somewhat liquid--which is something IRA money does not.\n\nDespite Scuhbby's inane assertion that the average mutual fund does 16-30% (no, the average mutual fund loses money), mutual funds are absolutely the way to go.  Pick a broadly diversifed mix of assets classes, cover all your bases, and remember to rebalance every year.  A financial advisor might be able to help you with this, but if you have the tools, talent, and time to do it yourself, go for it.  And oh yeah, the discipline, which is the most important.\n\nMake sure you hit all the asset classes, such as large-, mid- and small-cap stocks, international stocks, investment grade and hi-yield debt, foreign debt, commodities, real estate, and precious metals.  Come up with a mix you're comfortable with, and sit back.  A properly allocated diversified portfolio will average 8-12% return per year, on average, and you'll be able to take advantage of the IRA's tax-deferred status.\n\nMOST IMPORTANT, if you qualify income-level wise, IMMEDIATELY look into converting your IRA (once you've rolled over the 401k) to a ROTH IRA.  Thus, not only will your preserve your tax-exempt status year-to-year, you'll also ensure all future earnings will be 100% TAX-FREE.  Even a normal IRA/401k requires you to pay taxes when you take distributions.  Converting could have some current year tax consequences, so consult a financial advisor for your specifics, but in nearly every case I have found it to be worth it.\n\nHope this helps!\n--J.
1038547
There is a web site http://money.cnn.com/pf/101/ that offers a calculator for helping to determine what amounts of income should go for different types of expenses.  Also on that page are articles on various matters such as "Investing in Stocks" and "Saving for College"
820673
Don't buy mutual funds for the long run. They're not good investments. The problem is the fees that are involved. A mutual fund is a pool of money from a number of investors which is then invested and managed by a fund manager and usually his/her employees. This inherently means you get lower returns than if you bought stocks.\n\nThe reason is, the fund manager and employees all have to get paid, which cuts into your earnings. This makes them less attractive, so they often pay advisers to recommend them. This further cuts into your earnings. As a result, stocks are a much smarter option. The IRA isn't a bad idea, and there are different kinds of IRAs you can invest in.
813248
1. stocks\n2. bonds\n3. rental properties\n4. mutual funds\n5. annuities\n6. CDs\n7. money market accounts (a form of mutual fund)\n8. homes\n9. resort properties\n10. collectibles--paintings, antiques, coins, stamps, comic books, baseball cards, etc.
1162875
http://www.tradingresources.org/ira-401K-investing.htm\n\nshould be able to help answer your question.\n\nMoni
407562
http://www.dinkytown.net/\n\nTry this page : http://www.dinkytown.net/\n\nIt's a bunch of financial calculators so you can figure it out and play around with different variables.
165716
Check with a local financial planner, but my thought would be to look at the non-qualified variable annuities offered by global insurers like ING or Allianz.
653896
There are pros and cons of variable annuities as an investment.  I think the key here is whether your employer has a matching program (like you contribute 5%, and they match 5%).  If yes, you should still join, variable annuities or not, you are getting free money from them.  If there is no matching, you should forget about them and open your own 401K account else where and invest in regular mutual funds yourself.
331893
Roth , Roth , Roth IRA PLAN .
897653
Your investment is in an IRA so there won't be a taxable distribution (unless you pull the money out of the investment).  Sometimes there can be account closure fees that mutual funds may charge or the financial institution you are working with.  If you are in a bad investment, it can be worth any fee to move into a stronger investment.  Look for long-term results rather than just the past 3 or 5 years.  Good Luck.
261331
I myself am a small business owner - self employed and opened up a ROTH IRA through www.sharebuilder.com about a year ago. The cost can vary depending on what plan you choose and how much you choose to invest every month. I myself invest $120/mo. and there is an additional $25 stock fund fee every year. My account value is nearly $2000. I strongly urge you to take a look at www.sharebuilder.com for your IRA investment needs. I've been very impressed with them. It's perfect for small business owners primarily because there are no minimum investment fees and their portfolio is very versatile.
103673
She's right if that is as much as you can invest.  Your best bet is to max out both if you can afford to.\n\nHere's the order:\n\n401K to match:\nROTH IRA max\n401K max