ftrexx1, Put all your money in a guaranteed 3% annually annuity and go sit down and relax. Nice , Simple, and Easy.
You're arguing for the sake of arguing. Will the portfolio I outlined out perform 100% QQQ? Probably not. But will the OP freak out and sell at the exact wrong time when there is an inevitable 30-40% decline in QQQ? I can't answer that, only he can. Short term treasuries carry almost zero duration risk and are highly liquid, so essentially a cash substitute with some small interest to contribute to the overall portfolio. And when I say STT and LTT, I mean use ETF's or funds, so you can re-balance easily. As for LTT you may lose value if rates go up, but you will also likely have Stocks and doing well during that time as an off-set. If QQQ does plunge by 20+%, LTT will increase and offset some of your loss. Basically what you're saying is buy and hold 100% Nasdaq. That will very likely outperform a balanced portfolio, but with bigger swings. If you buy at a peak, you can be underwater for years however. Balancing your assets spreads risk. You can also get an additional 1-2%+ just from re-balancing. 35% TQQQ / 35% EDV / 10% GLD / 20% SHY as outperformed 100% QQQ by 4.5%/yr with the exact same DD and volatility since 2011. That gives you 105% Nasdaq exposure + STT, zero coupon treasuries and gold exposure. It all depends on what the OP's goals are. He simply hasn't given enough information to say for sure.
buy 900k worth of T stock at all time lows and take in 6% divs for rest of your life. Don't touch it.
@El OchoCinco I'm guessing studios offer the best rental yields (as well as additional headaches)? What sort of ratio do you look for when it comes to annual rent / purchase price? Also, did you mention another business? I've always wanted to be set up that way (trading, rentals, side business) but whenever I look at the learning curve for the latter two, I end up deciding my time is better spent sticking with what I know and working on new strategies. Which is largely true I think for the bottom line but at some point the diversification makes sense.
wow! even if I'm a little bit more confused now, I thank you all for the time you put in reply my post!
Wow a loaded question not easy to answer. I mentioned studios because they are cheapest out there, are often rented by single professionals or couples, not a lot of maintenance, rent fairly easily, less objection when they font come with parking if well located, lowest condo fees based on square footage, etc.. Does not mean 1 BR or larger or a small building with 3 units is a bad idea. But this is like trading..don't run before you can walk and get into something over your head. That is why studios are great starters. Now getting in you are not always going to be cash positive..you might even lose a little money first year or two but if you picked a good property, the value will not go down and the tenant is paying the bulk of the costs. Sooner or later you get positive and then you start getting equity. This is not something where you buy the studio and then you are rolling in cash. It is a portfolio you build up over time. 10 years pass and you realize you have 3-4 properties and all are cash positive. Not a get rich quick scheme but stay rich plan. Starting a new business has all the risks of getting into something new and you know nothing about. This is a hard choice and really risky. SOmetimes going into someone else's business as a small partner is getting your foot wet without getting soaked. You go 100% into a restaurant or frozen yogurt franchise and you could lose everything. You go 20% in with a solid business with people who you have vetted and trust and you get to see how the sausage is made with less risk and learn quite a bit. Too much more to say here without writing so long people get turned off..