i was on the retail side for 7 years and am not holding myself out as any better or worse than any planner out there, but these are many of the questions you will hear from one while you pay him $100/hr. what is the goal of the money and what is your time horizon? is this is a short term trading account? if so its silly to try and trade in your position. is it longer term like college or retirement savings? if so it makes more sense to leave at least a portion in the market. what does the rest of your finances look like: debt, risk management, savings, etc... if this is all the money you have, def go cash. ideally everyone should have 3-6x their monthly salary or living expenses in a emergency account that is liquid and safe. in your case you should be leaning towrds 6x particulalry if you are married or have a family. review and shore up risk management, have htere been any life chabges since you have done this last? i.e. insurances, life, helth, homeowners, a will, and trust if it makes sense. make sure these are all in good order and will continue to be while you are gone, make sure you have appropriate protection and tweak anything that needs it before leaving. if you are married or kids this all goes double for you. when clients ask me this question many times the best answer is not either all in or all out but rather keeping a portion in or out that you will be comfortable with and this is the bottom line...you dont want to have anything hanging over your head so do what will make you most comfortable. if you do keep anything in, be diversified, maybe write some covered calls there should be some premium out there with the rally. and be careful with bonds if there is a hike or two while you are gone. hope this helps, feel free to PM me. and dont fret aholes like that previous poster, he is a vocal minority... the majority of americans support you.
be very careful with these...any annuity that pays you 17% in first year (and they are out there jack isnt full of it) will have outrageous penalties and holding periods making it very punitive unless you tie your money up forever. only suitable for very few in unique instances, imo
Reply to Ron-In-a-sauna If my comment had been pro war then you would'nt mind me crossing the line. I am not a pacifist. In an earlier thread I complained about our soldiers being forced to fight this war with their hands tied behind their backs and I stand behind that comment. I've done Military service so perhaps I know a bit about the reality. I've never opposed a war previously but this one is bullshit. Bush and his boys have miscalculated, why do you think they have to send a further 100,000 troops? The biggest joke is that the operation is called Iraqi Freedom. This war is meant to be about WMD but to make it more palatable to stupid voters we are now "liberating" the Iraqi nation. Problem is that they do'nt want to be liberated ............and if they do then they certainly do'nt want us to be the liberators. The plan was that the Iraqi people would support us when we invaded but it aint happening and it wont happen so how are we going to win this one without killing lots and lots of innocent people ? The essential problem with the Middle East and the Arab States is Palestine. Bush is not honest enough nor clever enough to tackle it and the result is that we are sucked into this Iraqi mess. Your comments about your heroic friends and their great sacrifices so that I can sleep in a safe and free country brought tears to my eyes....................I can hear the violins ! The problem with people like you Ron is that patriotism blinds you to reality and makes you more stupid than you already are. Next time you hear Bush on radio or TV listen carefully to his answers if he has to field a difficult question because he really does struggle to be coherent. He's obviously not a clever man and Americans are going to be realising this more and more.
as a military man then why dont you support your fellow soldier instead of taking a cheap shot at him when he was looking for help... i have no desire to debate politics in this forum, i find it futile and a complete waste of time esp. when i go to this site to discuss trading and markets and any comments or debate relating to trading or markets these issues are welcome. good luck and i hope you deal with your anger and find a life or at least goto yahoo to play political pundit.
Ron, Its a good thing that you dont have the desire to debate politics in this forum because you obviously dont have the intellect. Hope you do better at trading.
tOyland, First of all, let me wish you and your unit the best over there. We know you'll do us proud. Always remember that the VAST MAJORITY of Americans support you and your fellow brothers-in-arms. Don't let the negative comments you've read on this site get you down; remember that the worst of them come from foreigners anyway. As far as what to do with your money, there have been some good suggestions, especially from Ron-in-a-sauna. Personally, I would get out completely because I wouldn't want to deal with a possibly negative portfolio on top of battling Saddam and Co. You know yourself way better than any of us do - honestly ask yourself if you can handle that kind of stress. Whatever decision you make, make sure it's one that will not be eating away at you day in and out while you're over there. Give 'em hell and come home safe.
You could always buy S&P or QQQ calls and then personally shoot Saddam right between the f*****g eyes - talk about the ultimate in market manipulation !
Brothers in Arms These mist covered mountains Are a home now for me But my home is the lowlands And always will be Some day you'll return to Your valleys and your farms And you'll no longer burn To be brothers in arm Through these fields of destruction Baptism of fire I've watched all your suffering As the battles raged higher And though they did hurt me so bad In the fear and alarm You did not desert me My brothers in arms There's so many different worlds So many different suns And we have just one world But we live in different ones Now the sun's gone to hell And the moon's riding high Let me bid you farewell Every man has to die But it's written in the starlight And every line on your palm We're fools to make war On our brothers in arms
"He was just a common soldier and his ranks are growing thin, But his presence should remind us we may need his like again. For when countries are in conflict, then we find the soldier's part Is to clean up all the troubles that the politicians start. If we cannot do him honor while he's here to hear praise. Then at least let's give him homage at the ending of his days. Perhaps just a simple headline in a paper that would say. Our Country is in mourning, for a soldier died today"