SavingsTalk.com

BOB+

I'm single and 45 and have recently paid off my home. I have no debt. I will stay in my house at least another seven years. I want to invest in a product where I can deposit a fixed amount every month for five years and get a guaranteed rate of return. I already have a 401K, Roth IRA, savings accounts and cd's. What products do you suggest?<br />

alien

Now it's time to invest in your children.

sox

There are more mutual funds on the trading boards than actual, individual stocks! Each of them have different projected rates of return - that helps determine their share price.

If you're looking for fixed rates of return, you know most of the options, T-Bonds, CD's, Savings Accounts. There are also Corporate Bonds that pay annuities (yearly dividend-like payments.)

Best advice - talk to a financial planner, you might find that you are less risk-averse than you think and might enjoy dabbling in non-fixed rate return vehicles.

sox

. One poster said invest in your children. The heck with that! You have 20 years of work ahead of you to build yourself YOUR nest egg.
Your taxes are probably high so you might go with tax-exempt securities. ... or T-bills. &quot;...Municipal bonds may be general obligations of the issuer or secured by specified revenues. Interest income received by holders of municipal bonds is often exempt from the federal income tax and from the income tax of the state in which they are issued. &quot;
It's also said that paying off a 5.5% mortgage is the worst thing you can do! That's a very cheap 'loan' and you get to take some of that off your income taxes.
Anyway, try to read a lot of books about investing. Start with &quot;Investing for Dummies&quot;. Fool.Com is a good learning site, too. Then once you know how to talk the talk, walk down to your investment banker and ask questions, for FREE. .
You might just decide to stay with what you have and load those programs up. Don't be afraid to accept a 5% return for life. .