If you don’t have an emergency fund, I would put some or all of it into something like a money market account. It won’t grow very much, but it’s safe and is quick and easy to withdraw when needed.
Otherwise depends on your age and situation, but an index fund (S&P 500) is almost always the right choice. It’s flexible, doesn’t usually lock you in, and will generally do very well in the mid-to-long term. If we hit a recession you might get stuck holding the shares for several months to a few years. The last thing you want to do is panic sell in that situation.
If you have any debt, paying that down is a very smart move, especially if the debt is charging more interest than your investment can earn. Future you will thank you.
Index fund, most definitely. And find one that has low administrative fees, I know that Vanguard has at least a few that are super low.
I have my emergency fund, and no debt. If I were to lose this $10K, it wouldn’t impact my life. I’m comfortable with taking $10K out of my bank account and doing something with it but I don’t know how to go about that. I don’t know how to open an index fund or money market account.
I’m going to second (third, fourth, fifth) the Roth IRA recommendation. You can set it up with Schwab or whoever and can make recurring contributions too (set it and forget it) there are income limits so if you are really raking it in one year you can’t contribute that year but whatever you put in there is still (usually) going to grow in value. If you have an emergency situation and need the money you can withdraw contributions, not earnings, ahead of retirement, so it’s not lost to you, but working for you and much easier at tax time, no worries about how to report it.
Pay down your debts first.
Buy 10 Babies in Arkansas.
it’s cheaper than surrogacy.
With zero information on your situation, it’s difficult to say. If you have debt, paying that down/off is generally priority one. If you are debt-free, then you have options. Your age, stability, goals, and other factors would generally dictate what type of action to take. Were it me (early 40s, very low interest rate home loan), I’d put it into an index fund where I’ve already got some investments. In my case, I’m investing for retirement in about 25-30 years (as if I’ll be able to do that, but one can hope).
Bees.
Beads?
Peas.
I do enjoy beekeeping vlogs but I’m more of a gardener.
Beads?
Leave the country while you still can? 🤓🤘🏽
I kind of agree, moving from USA to for example Switzerland would be an improvement in every aspect of life.
But that might not be what they want.
It’s a big undertaking; learning the language and law, changing jobs, being okay with the fact you’ll rarely if ever see your family and friends…
The biggest problem for some people is no country wants them.
America seems to take just about anyone given you wait decades, but every other country worth moving to has strict income or professional requirements. I’m just a worthless factory schmuck so I’m stuck here :(
Or that, yes.
Even if you suddenly cash out a lucky 10 000 USD once, a lot of countries’ income requirements still filter you outGoing about it that way is like brute forcing a password. There are myriad other solutions, and necessity is the mother of invention.
I’m not sure what you mean by that, so just to clarify what I meant: A lot of countries require you to prove you have a sustainable income, so showing them you’ve earned 2500-3000 EUR every month for the past three years, and that you already have a contract waiting for you in their country, works. Showing you received 10 000 USD once when you can’t prove a sustainable income won’t do.
This makes it hard for people to move just because they got lucky with money once.I’m not saying it’s a good thing or not, just that this is the case.
Yes, this is known.
Put it in an IRA so you cant touch it and buy high dividedend yeilding stocks that reinvest in more shares and let it sit for the next decade and pray that there is a radical social change in out society so we can save the Planet and Poor from Billionaires.
You can definitely touch an IRA. Had to empty mine since I’ve been unemployed.
What kind of work are you looking for?
I’m a software engineer but can’t even get a call back due to the fact that tons of us are unemployed right now. Many unemployed have more experience than I do.
The best part is that I can’t even get a job at a grocery store because I’m “overqualified” according to one store in my neighborhood.
Have you looked into drafting before?
I’m not sure what that means
There is no universally good investment - it all depends on your priorities, risk appetite and timeframe.
Depends on your risk tolerance.
A 4% savings account is “safe” but might not keep up with inflation.
An index fund might be “good”, but the value can go down.
IIRC, >6% is the floor to keep up…
The average inflation rate for the last 20 years is under 3%
Edit: why are people downvoting me, refute my statement with a source instead of downvoting because you wish inflation was higher
Oh? That’s actually uplifting news! 😅🖖🏽
VT. Don’t gamble on single stocks. But since capitalism rules and all of congress owns stocks, you can be fairly confident the market will go up in the long term 10+ years horizon. And compound interest does miracles.
Vanguard S&P 500 fund.
Don’t disagree about stuffing it in VTI… But, be aware that things can go up and down, so don’t obsess over the value one you put it in. It’s long term so it should go up over long term, but they’re can be months sheets it goes down and even a year where it doesn’t do well
So from what I’ve read after viewing this thread, I make a vanguard account, either get a money market fund or a brokered CD, put the money in, let it sit for awhile, and then profit years down the line?
Money market or CD is going to have terrible return. You will be lucky to match inflation. Get a low overhead SP 500 index fund. By low overhead I’m taking .15% or less. You should be able to find .125% with a bit of poking around.
5% is terrible? I have 13k in a 9 month CD at 5%
Almost a year and I get like $600, doesn’t seem so great to me but there’s no risk either I guess :/
Low risk but inflation is above 3% so you are looking at less than 2% effective granted it’s a fairly safe investment.
I’ll reply without knowing your situation fully. If you don’t have an emergency fund that would cover several months worth of expenses that is probably the single most impactful thing you can do with $10k. A few high yield savings account offer rates around 4%, some of them have strings attached, so read how it works carefully. Think of this as insurance against unforseen expenses that you might otherwise have to put on a card and consequently pay interest for. Pick a number and always make sure you keep that account at that number.
If you already have an emergency fund, you have lots of options. Personally, I am onboard with the folks recommending index funds. I have an ETF that tracks the DOW and it has outperformed most of my individual stocks significantly over time.
Most importantly, strangers on the internet are likely not financial advisors and may not even know what they are doing. Take everything with a grain of salt and if you talk to any investment companies make sure you understand the difference and overlap between a financial advisor and a fiduciary.
Hmmm I see a distinct lack of CDs on here…
(Now I’m considering not renewing my 5% 9 month investment) Lol
I just looked up what a CD is. It seems easier to understand than some of the other suggestions that have been made. I do not understand what a roth ira is or if it’s right for me.
Roth grows tax-free and has more long term flexibility compared to traditional IRA. The tradeoff is that it doesn’t reduce your taxes in the year you contribute. It’s the better option for most.
Does a Roth mean I tell my employer to put the money into the account or do I put it in myself after I get paid?
