The best way to invest

[BrightAnarchist]

What's the best way to invest? Wall St won't tell you the secret, but here it is: don't. Find a good money market fund as your base, and clip coupons by building a high quality relatively short duration bond ladder. It's essentially risk free, and it has beaten the market for over a decade now. Sleep well, save well, focus on your career, and enjoy your life -- and though you may not believe me, I guarantee you'll beat 95% of all investors in the long run, and you won't have to pay any "advisors" a nickel.

[kiba]

This is not economic, but financial advice.

Though, if it is such a good investment, why is everybody aren't doing it?

[grondilu]

What's the best way to invest? Wall St won't tell you the secret, but here it is: don't. Find a good money market fund as your base, and clip coupons by building a high quality relatively short duration bond ladder. It's essentially risk free, and it has beaten the market for over a decade now. Sleep well, save well, focus on your career, and enjoy your life -- and though you may not believe me, I guarantee you'll beat 95% of all investors in the long run, and you won't have to pay any "advisors" a nickel.

As far as I'm concerned, I prefer the "buy and hold" strategy, plus a strict diversification discipline.

Never sell, and buy a lot of things :  shareholdings, commodities, precious metals.  If you are really wealthy, you can also buy things that cost a lot :  real estate, art and other stuffs.

Avoid monetary funds, government bonds and anything which is assimilated to cash.   Buy what money can buy, don't keep money for itself.

[Anonymous]

My advice is to use dollar cost averaging to purchase coins. If you invest a set amount each week it is better than trying to time the market.

ie time in the market is better than timing the market. 

[FreeMoney]

I liquidated my small IRA and bought gold starting ~2.5 years ago, move of the decade imo. Don't hold stranger's promises, they'll be good until you actually need them.

[jgarzik]

With the right self-directed IRA, you can hold gold (at least, in ETF form).

[ribuck]

... bought gold starting ~2.5 years ago, move of the decade imo ...

Indeed. I wish I had done the same myself.

But you haven't won until you liquidate the gold for more than your purchase price, as a lot of people found to their cost in 1980 (see the red line on this chart).

In my opinion, the time to sell will be when "everyone including the shoeshine boy" is buying gold as an investment and the price is skyrocketing.

[hugolp]

... bought gold starting ~2.5 years ago, move of the decade imo ...

Indeed. I wish I had done the same myself.

But you haven't won until you liquidate the gold for more than your purchase price, as a lot of people found to their cost in 1980 (see the red line on this chart).

In my opinion, the time to sell will be when "everyone including the shoeshine boy" is buying gold as an investment and the price is skyrocketing.

There is still some years until something like that could happen (there is even a small chance of hyperinflation). When the DOW to gold ratio goes under 3 or 2 its time to start thinking on selling. But I am pretty sure you still have 3 or 4 years until that happens.

[Anonymous]

... bought gold starting ~2.5 years ago, move of the decade imo ...

Indeed. I wish I had done the same myself.

But you haven't won until you liquidate the gold for more than your purchase price, as a lot of people found to their cost in 1980 (see the red line on this chart).

In my opinion, the time to sell will be when "everyone including the shoeshine boy" is buying gold as an investment and the price is skyrocketing.

There is still some years until something like that could happen (there is even a small chance of hyperinflation). When the DOW to gold ratio goes under 3 or 2 its time to start thinking on selling. But I am pretty sure you still have 3 or 4 years until that happens.

Where do they store the gold you bought? If its in  bank they can confiscate it

[hugolp]

Where do they store the gold you bought? If its in  bank they can confiscate it

#1 - The first rule of Fight Club is, you do not talk about Fight Club.

#2 - The second rule of Fight Club is, you DO NOT talk about Fight Club.

Similarly:

#1 - The first rule of the Gold Club is, you do not tell anyone you have gold or where you hide it.

#2 - The second rule fo the Gold Club is, you DO NOT tell anyone you have gold or where you hide it.

 

[Anonymous]

Where do they store the gold you bought? If its in  bank they can confiscate it

#1 - The first rule of Fight Club is, you do not talk about Fight Club.

#2 - The second rule of Fight Club is, you DO NOT talk about Fight Club.

Similarly:

#1 - The first rule of the Gold Club is, you do not tell anyone you have gold or where you hide it.

#2 - The second rule fo the Gold Club is, you DO NOT tell anyone you have gold or where you hide it.

 

haha fair enough. Just wondered how deep the hole was in your back yard 

[FreeMoney]

Where do they store the gold you bought? If its in  bank they can confiscate it

#1 - The first rule of Fight Club is, you do not talk about Fight Club.

#2 - The second rule of Fight Club is, you DO NOT talk about Fight Club.

Similarly:

#1 - The first rule of the Gold Club is, you do not tell anyone you have gold or where you hide it.

#2 - The second rule fo the Gold Club is, you DO NOT tell anyone you have gold or where you hide it.

 

Yeah, I was just kidding, I don't have any gold. If I did I wouldn't leave it with strangers though.

[BrightAnarchist]

Some good general advise here:

http://www.harrybrowne.org/articles/InvestmentRules.htm

Love this guy.

[bober182]

Don't invest, live in the moment and live like you want to.

[grondilu]

Don't invest, live in the moment and live like you want to.

Well, you have to do something with the money you don't spend.

Moreover, if you don't invest, then you don't have money and thus you have to work.  Working :   Errrr...

[jzcjca00]

With the right self-directed IRA, you can hold gold (at least, in ETF form).

With the right self-directed IRA, you can hold bitcoins, as well.  Directly, in your personal cold storage, not as part of some ETF or other fund.

There are companies (like http://www.broadfinancial.com/self-directed-ira) that for about $1500 will help you set up a self-directed IRA and an IRA LLC investment company.  You manage the IRA LLC and have a wide range of investment options.  They are commonly used for holding real estate in IRAs, but bitcoins are 100% legal, as well.

If you do this with a Roth IRA, as long as you follow the rules and don't withdraw until age 59 1/2, you will never have to pay any taxes on the gains!  So if you transfer or rollover $10,000 to a Roth IRA LLC, and bitcoin goes up by a factor of 100, you wind up with $1 million completely tax free!

I think it's worth a small investment of time and money up front to avoid paying capital gains taxes on the potentially huge gains bitcoin may bring us!

See https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=396783.0 for details.

Note: I'm not recommending Broad Financial over the other companies in the space.  They are just one example.  I do like that they post their fees on the Internet, so you don't have to call them to know what it will cost.

[kostja]

What's the best way to invest?

How much profit % You will?

[bythesea]

Best way to invest is to put money into risky inventions, but thats only if you have money to spare.

[jzcjca00]

Best way to invest is to put money into risky inventions, but thats only if you have money to spare.

The good news about bitcoin is that you don't need to make a huge investment.  Even if you put in just $100, if it really catches on, you wind up with $100,000.  If it fails, all you lose is $100.

[R0yalAir]

Financial advice then
the best way to invest is to hold and never sell