"what is the best option when like me have 35 to 40 years to go before retirement age?" The main thing is to start saving religiously NOW. You should be putting at least 10 percent of your before-tax income into a retirement account. What you invest in is less important than to start saving in the first place. The other thing is to keep your debt paid down.
"do i save in a 401k?" The reason for putting money in a tax-deferred account is that you receive interest on money you would have otherwise paid in taxes. Presumably when you take your money out you will be in a lower tax bracket than you are now so you'll be taxed at a lower rate. But even if you take your money out while you're still working, the compounding interest effect means you'll have a lot more money if you pay the taxes later rather than sooner.
"its like pulling hens teath to roll it into my new account" Really? Did you talk to the company that manages your OLD 401k or the one that manages your CURRENT 401k? I think you'll find that the latter firm will be MUCH more helpful when it comes to rolling your old account into your current one. But you should consider moving your old 401k into an IRA; you should have no problem finding a company that will not charge you a maintenance fee with your current balance. I will recommend two companies: T. Rowe Price and Vanguard. There are many others.
"i always contribute to the guarenteed fund" So you are guaranteeing that your investment won't keep up with inflation. That's not avoiding risk, that's being stupid. With over 30 years left to work, you need to diversify. You should have at least two-thirds of your money in stocks right now, you can move them into bonds and fixed income accounts when you get older.
"...land etc.where the value rarely declines?" Where have you been the past ten years? Believe me, if you had invested all your money in California real estate back in 1999, you would surely believe that land can and will decline in value. BTW, as a general rule, undeveloped land is one of the worst investments you can make because it has a negative cash flow until you sell it, and it is very illiquid. Developed property (eg. rental homes) can be a good investment under the right circumstances, but is still risky, illiquid and typically has a negative cash flow.
"...keeping [sic] rolling money into 401k from job to job not knowing whats happening with my money?" As stated before, you can roll it into an IRA with an investment firm you trust and that provides you with the transparency you desire.
"i just really dont trust anyone with my money" The alternative to trusting someone else is to do your homework and take an active role in managing your investments. Yes, it's a lot of work and may or may not give you better results than letting the professionals do it for you. But it's not like there are any other options.
We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]
Today's Featured Article - Old Time Threshing - by Anthony West. A lovely harvest evening late September 1947, I was a school boy, like all school boys I loved harvest time. The golden corn ripens well and early, the stoking, stacking,.... the drawing in with the tractors and trailers and a few buck rakes thrown in, and possibly a heavy horse. It would be a great day for the collies and the terrier dogs, rats and mice would be at the bottom of the stacks so the dogs, would have a busy time hunting and killing, all the corn was gathered and ricked in what we c
... [Read Article]
Latest Ad:
1964 I-H 140 tractor with cultivators and sidedresser. Starts and runs good. Asking 2650. CALL RON AT 502-319-1952
[More Ads]
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy
TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.