Hello,

I am able to save 2500/month and it gets thrown to the savings accounts where it sits and gains nothing. I would like to make that money work for me as to not sit there. I don't know anything about stocks or whatever...

What do you recommend to start investing?

Thanks

In my worthless opinion -- I would want enough quick money for emergency purposes, 6mos to 1 year of bills.
Then go to a Roth IRA, don't do CDs. Do mutual funds through Vanguard.
And if you want to buy a home, then id be saving enough for 20% down payment.

Do you have a deferred compensation plan available at work?

What is your current marginal tax rate?

How long until you plan to retire?

Have 2 homes already, 1 rented, not really making anything out of it, if i sell I lose, so Im just holding on to it, how much would you make on roth ira a year? what about the mutual funds?

Let's put it this way.... I am technically retired, not working, have a good income every month and just want to make that extra money I am saving work. I would like something that could give me ROI quick but something safe.

You need to determine your timeline for using the money (when you will need it liquid) in order to determine what is 'safe'. Also, safe is a very relative term. My initial thoughts are a high interest savings account. Risk free 1%. If the money won't be used for 5+ years you could look into total market index funds, or bond funds.

So does everyone else.

There are quite a few things out there. You aren't going to hear them from here and from me. That's the facts.

Generally speaking you have three options:
1- Invest it in an index fund such as SPY
2- Engage a brokerage with an investment advisor who will manage it for a fee
3- Manage it yourself. This involves learning the mechanics of trading either fully commit to it or revert to 1 or 2.

I am self directed. If I was not I would invest in an S&P index fund.

That's over simplifying it.

Ya think?

I wish more people really committed to self directed accounts. Its so damn fun. The problem is if you half ass or 'experiment' you are usually worse off than if you just hired an investment advisor or indexed it.

I am just messing with you.

Yeah, that can happen sometimes, chasing returns, not sticking to the strategy etc.

I really think the biggest benefit a good advisor will bring to the table is to actually dial in the risk tolerance of a portfolio. You can do that by using a multitude of different things. That I have never seen mentioned on these forums. The problem is that, not all firms or advisors can use or chose to implement those tools.

Most of the time the company doesn't allow them to use those things, they don't know about them, or they are just focusing on getting more assets under management.

What I always found funny is that when talking to the discount advisors and big wirehouses  is that their knowledge is very limited in breadth. They can tell you all day long about modern port theory and their own captive investments, but they rarely have a good grasps on macro/micro cause and effect regarding the economy/investments.

It's not surprising, after all those are just sales positions. Some firms don't allow you to suggest things not on the "recommended lists" due to their pay to play system, but no body ever asks about that though, which I can't blame them, how in the world are they suppose to even know that's a thing.

I disagree with putting money into bond funds now. I think rates can only go up, but they have stayed low longer than I thought. So take that with a grain of salt.

you are going to need to be more specific.