Make private loans on RE at 10% and Loan To Value of 60% to 70% , Interest Only and 1 year Balloon secured by a 1st Mortgage on the investment property.
I’m a former Financial Advisor (retired) (doesn’t make me smart, just makes me experienced) and in the same position, I’ve got 600k sloshing around earning nothing. The guys who said there’s no risk free options available earning more than CD’s. The closest you will come is something like SHY, and even that is paying about .2% and has risk attached. the way I look at it for myself, cash is an asset class in and of itself. I’d rather hold it, than expose my money to a risk that doesn’t earn me a commensurate return. Yeah, I’ll lose purchasing power to inflation, but at some point, I’ll invest the money. I did take some maturing CD money and put it into dividend paying stocks, names that I wouldn’t have a problem holding through a disastrous market cycle. But my risk to,earn enough allows that, your friend may not feel comfortable with that approach
Best advice on the whole thread. 10% may be a little steep now. 6% is the going rate for solid candidates now I think.