The 4 Do's and Don'ts of 401(K) Investing

For an individual, the 401(k) is the greatest investment deal around. Though only if it's properly managed. Here are some basics to remember when Investing in your 401(k) plan.

1) Be wary of 'over investing' in safe funds. GICs and bond funds should be kept to a minimum. Even though they are safer then many other investments, they probably won't provide enough of a return by the time retirement comes around. In the long run you stand a better chance of growing your money by investing in equity mutual funds.

2) Give as much as possible to the 401(k). Your 401(k) is most likely the best investing deal you will find, so you should maximize on this opportunity. The 401(k) plan has a maximum annual investment, and you should be contributing that amount every year.

The money is for retirement! By drawing early you will receive penalties and taxes.

3) Roll over your 401(k) funds directly. When you retire or switch jobs, you should not take possession of 401(k) funds, even if you are planning to invest them elsewhere. If you take possession of your funds, this you may find yourself facing big penalties and taxes.

4) The 401(k) plan is different then a home equity line or savings account. The 401(k) is a retirement plan. Also, dipping into your 401(k) will lessen the effects of time and compounding interest on these investments. Just don't do it.

Richard Kirby Rich has been in the investing world for 9 years, and has used multiple online investing strategies for over 4 years. http://investing-online home

What Your Lifestyle Means To Your Investing Strategy

One of the biggest rewards of long term investing is the opportunity for you to support the stocks you purchase.

Unlike day trading you are holding on to a piece of a company that most of the time you can personally support. Here are a few tips on supporting your portfolio.

The first step in investing to your lifestyle is to make a list of possible stocks according to the products you use.

Behind many of the products we use every day, there is a company that may be a great long-term investment, so start with a list of potential companies to look in to. Here are some idea's to get you started.

What kind of soft drinks does your family drink? What brand of clothes do you wear, and where do you buy them? What type of car do you drive? Who made your TV? VCR? Computer? DVD Player? Cell phone? Where do you buy groceries, and what brands do you buy every time you shop? What about entertainment? Where do you rent movies, or go out to see new releases? Which movie studio has put our some of your favorites? What's your favorite restaurant? Fast food chain? Get the idea? Keep going until you have filled at least one page. Just run through a typical day from toothpaste to motor oil, you'll probably have at least a hundred different companies that you buy products from.

The second step is to find out which companies are publicly traded, and have the stocks have done for the last 5, 10, and 20 years. Use a professional to help with choosing the best investment choices.

Once you invest in a company, you need to keep up your support. That's the easy part. If you invest in Coke, why would you drink Pepsi? If you invest in Chevy, which dealership will you go to for your next car? If you invest in a restaurant chain, where would you suggest your friends go to dinner? What other product does that company make, and do they own other businesses. Even though you don't own the company outright, it still like paying yourself every time you buy something from a company that you also invest in.

Here's the basic summary. Step 1: Figure out what you already use. Step 2: Check which companies are possible investments. Step 3: After investing, support your future by using and recommending that company. That's it in a nutshell. It may seem like common sense to most, but I always prefer getting more involved rather then just passively investing in companies I've never heard of before getting a 'hot tip'.

By Richard Kirby Rich has been investing for 9 years and has used various forms of online investing for the past 4 years. http://investing-online home

The Benefits of Buy to Let Investing

The housing market has recently been experiencing a bit of a slow down. Although this might have come with a sigh of relief from the first-time buyers, it has left some of those thinking of investing in the Buy to Let market in a bit of a quandary. Is it the right time to invest in a Buy to Let property? Well, Buy to Let is certainly a big commitment and not one to be taken lightly, however if it is well researched and undertaken as a long-term investment, it is unlikely that the average Buy to Let investor will lose money. So what benefits could you reap from taking that step towards investing in the Buy to Let property market?

Buy to Let - The Benefits.

With a bit of research and the right Buy to Let mortgage anybody can take advantage of this type of investment but what type of rewards from Buy to Let can you expect?

*Investment - Buy to Let allows you to maximise the longevity of your property investment. *Low Interest Rates - The relatively low Buy to Let mortgage rates is convincing many to take the Buy to Let plunge. *Professional Tenants - Over the last decade there has been an increase in the number of professionals being located to the bigger UK cities. This type of tenant is often viewed as preferable to students. *Extra Money - A Buy to Let property guarantees you an extra monthly "salary". *Profit - Don't forget that over time your property should appreciate in value. If correctly maintained and sold at the right time, a Buy to Let property can make you a significant profit. *Rental Demands - Current surveys suggest that demand for rented accommodation in some of the UK's larger cites with high population density, is outweighing supply. *Hassle-free - If you use a reputable letting agent the letting process should be relatively hassle-free. This means you can sit back and relax while you watch the money roll in. *Invest in you Investment - You can improve the value of your Buy to Let property through carefully planned renovations and therefore invest in your investment. *Financial Security - Renting out the property can provide you with a degree of financial security which you otherwise may not have. *Ex-pat Advantages - If you are going to work abroad you can rent out your property rather than having to sell it or leaving it empty. *Stability - If you are looking to invest your money, Buy to Let property is a relatively stable investment.

If these sound like the kind of investment benefits that you have been looking for then maybe the Buy to Let property market is the one for you. If you decide to go ahead with your decision to invest in Buy to Let property then you would be well advised to speak to a professional mortgage adviser who will be able to assess your personal circumstances and advise if Buy to Let is the right investment for you.

Elizabeth Grant writes exclusively for The Mortgage Broker specialist mortgage websites. To read more of Elizabeth 's articles on Buy to Let Mortgages please visit the Buy to Let Centre

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Mutual Funds

A mutual fund is perhaps one of the most popular means of long term investing and is the vehicle of choice in IRAs and 401k accounts. A mutual fund is basically a way of investing in a pool of different companies in order to minimize risk.

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