<p>LaserB,</p>
<p>Personally, having read your situation before, I really think you have to get over someone getting paid a commission. It seems to be a stumbling block for your decision making skills. Again, you have to look and see where things actually cost overall, not just one aspect. </p>
<p>Besides, securities and insurance commissions are HEAVILY regulated both nationally and at state level. I am subject to both Insurance offices of the states I do business in and the SEC. My books are checked regularly and all transactions are reviewed. Things are very much upfront and in the open. </p>
<p>As I said eariler when someone is pointing out how they aren’t charging in one area, they also may “overlook” the fact they are making up that free charge elsewhere. </p>
<p>Inspect the entire elephant and you’ll get a better idea of what it is. If you only concentrate on bits of the elephant, you may never know much about it.</p>
<p>I have my money in Vanguard’s 2045 fund I believe it is called… and some in some type of Hartford Fund. I’m not sure where else to put it. I’m not good at this stuff.</p>
<p>I’ll echo WashDad here. You need a professional. You can go to an investment firm with that kind of money and pay the load on mutual funds. Hint: If you keep all the money in the same family of funds the load amount is reduced at different breaking points. In other words if you have 100K or more in a “family of funds” you get a break.
The Amcap funds have been performing well. Vanguard is also decent.<br>
Pay the upfront load, buy a variety of funds in the same family: some international, some growth, some growth and income.
With that kind of money to invest, a professional should be asking about your short and long term goals.
Do you need the money in the next five months to pay college bills?
Do you want the money to all be set aside for retirement?
How many years until you retire?
Do you have debt (ie credit card, etc) which you should satisfy before investing?
A good professional should ask you a lot of questions like that before investing your money.</p>
<p>“Hint: If you keep all the money in the same family of funds the load amount is reduced at different breaking points”</p>
<p>Bingo!!! ding ding ding !!! somebody gets it! </p>
<p>And LB by using one fund family (and a average fund family has about 50 choices these days) you are actually reducing commissions up front and ongoing… While not eliminating commissions, you could take heart in knowing you have paid very little due to volume discounts. </p>
<p>Depending on the fund family breakpoints can start as low as 25k.</p>
<p>Opie, you made my day. My financial advisor would be proud of me…and this from an English major :)<br>
Which just goes to show you that anybody can learn…</p>
<p>LB.</p>
<p>the simple answer is that a broad market index fund (s&P 500, wilshire 5000, etc.) would provide you with diversification and exposure the equity markets. equity markets over the long term outperform bonds. Most fund managers do not beat the s&p 500 index, so why bother paying them to do so. (See Messr John Bogle of Vanguard)</p>
<p>that said, i see that you followed up your estate planning question with an investing question on the parent cafe. it is absolutely ridiculous that your are sharing this information (information security/privacy), requesting advice, and expecting rational responses from a PMB.</p>
<p>Since you are highly educated, pick up a few books on investing from Ben Graham, Warren Buffet, Peter Lynch. Read a few, find out what your personal appetite for risk is, what is your preference for investments.</p>
<p>Do not waste money on a professional. CFP’s are a joke and not worth the paper they are printed on. </p>
<p>Its your money please take ownership and responsibility for it. Their are many ways to invest your funds to generate a return. I would think domestic as well as internationally ( anything interesting going on Laos?)</p>