From about early 2000 until the middle of 2004 I practically kept all my money in a sock under the mattress. That is how bad it got after a great run in the '90's. I felt it was much better to settle for a 2-4% return than to lose all the money I saw others losing. So many people could not accept that the 90's would not return. Some I know lost 50-70% of their money.
I was lucky enough to get some good advice from a radio Guru who, in early 2000 told his listeners to get out of the market. He was so right.
So, in the middle of 2004 he started advising a return to the market, but not the conventional market--DOW and Nasdac (sorry I am not able to address the Canadian markets as I have no knowledge, but I am sure the same types of funds are available). What he was saying was look overseas. Man, was he so right again. International Funds and Emerging Markets is where I have almost all my money. I have them spread around in 9 different funds, all no-load as I am a do-it-yourselfer. (Vanguard, Fidelity, T. Roe Price)
This is not for everybody, especially if you do not want to do the work. You would be better off going to a fee-based fund. If you were to take a look at the different International Stock Markets you would find some of the leaders would be countries like Australia, Greece, Russia, Brazil, India, and surprisingly, Mexico. And, let's not forget China, the next giant. There are others, but the DOW trails all of these if you look back to the start of 2005.
I am hardly an expert here, but I believe in doing my homework. I am sure many others here will be able to display more experteze than I. It is simply that I know I have done very well and others have probably done a lot better.
I was lucky enough to get some good advice from a radio Guru who, in early 2000 told his listeners to get out of the market. He was so right.
So, in the middle of 2004 he started advising a return to the market, but not the conventional market--DOW and Nasdac (sorry I am not able to address the Canadian markets as I have no knowledge, but I am sure the same types of funds are available). What he was saying was look overseas. Man, was he so right again. International Funds and Emerging Markets is where I have almost all my money. I have them spread around in 9 different funds, all no-load as I am a do-it-yourselfer. (Vanguard, Fidelity, T. Roe Price)
This is not for everybody, especially if you do not want to do the work. You would be better off going to a fee-based fund. If you were to take a look at the different International Stock Markets you would find some of the leaders would be countries like Australia, Greece, Russia, Brazil, India, and surprisingly, Mexico. And, let's not forget China, the next giant. There are others, but the DOW trails all of these if you look back to the start of 2005.
I am hardly an expert here, but I believe in doing my homework. I am sure many others here will be able to display more experteze than I. It is simply that I know I have done very well and others have probably done a lot better.