[GregWeld]

Lance --


You'd do well by starting at page #1 --- and take a few pages per night --- and try to absorb some of the "info" that's been posted here. This entire thread is about how to THINK - What kinds of questions you should ask about your personal requirements etc…. it's never been about "Dear Abby - what should I personally do with my money". It's not about what stock to buy, despite many stocks used for examples. It's a beginners thread about "investing" in general. And while there are specific questions which require some discussion… Nobody can tell anyone else what's the right way or thing for them to invest in. Todd likes housing - another guy loves Tech - somebody else is young - and someone else is 5 years from retiring. What you will learn is that there are just some fundamentals here. Real basic stuff - that works "in general" - in good markets and bad.

Investing isn't about QE ending today or tomorrow - it isn't about what's going to happen in the future that nobody can predict…. that's why it's about a long term strategy that over time will have people INVEST in great companies - that pay them dividends - that buys more shares - that pays them ever more dividends and builds their nest egg with compounding. There are different strategies discussed for taxable vs non taxable accounts… again depending on the availability etc to the individual.

For investing principals in general - there should be no distinction between accounts or types of accounts --- a person's financial health and retirement depends on ALL OF THEIR RESOURCES…. combined. There's no separation when you're trying to figure out if you have enough to retire… there's just some basic principals about what types of investments are appropriate for a taxable account vs a non-taxable (or rather, tax deferred account - i.e., muni bonds shouldn't be inside an IRA/ROTH etc).

I think that for the people who have read and actually followed this thread and acted on their accounts… that it has for the most part - been productive for them. People are eager to learn and discuss investing "in general" and then act as they see fit for themselves. It's just not a Dear Abbey please help me thread and I'm not going to engage in that type of discussion.