Is is possible to beat 5% return on your money safely?
92347
If you want to be 100% safe long term bank deposits would be safest. Next best thing are bank bonds/certificates the Gov't Banks issue out.\n\nOf course, investing in anything else would introduce risks and possibly increased returns/losses.\n\nAny investment that probably promises me anything more than 5% with no risk would be highly questionable.
761866
Before you invest the first dime of that 5k make sure you have:\n1. Contributed enough to your 401k to achieve your company's match. (if that is an option available to you)\n2. Paid off all debt (except for your mortgage if you have one)\n3. Set aside 3 months of living expenses.\nNow you are ready to go! As to tools... see the following url which has info on various investment strategies.\nSuccess and health to you! \n\nSource(s):\n http://www.investmentu.com/sitemap.html
52560
No. You can't squeeze money out of a bank.  However, you can reduce your costs and therefore increase your potential return. Most mutual funds have "break points" at which they reduce the sales charge. Most start at about $25k. You can get the break points by contributing smaller amounts over a 13 month period. You would use a "letter of intent" to do so. You would still need to meet the $25k requirement, but could do so over time.\n\nAnother option would be a "Managed Account" with a brokerage firm. Minimums run about $25-50k depending on the firm. The advantage is that you pay only a small fee as a percentage of assets under management.\n\nUse this information at your own risk. Consult a financial advisor.
729320
50% chance to go up by $5, but don't expect too much
168789
Yes you can "win" with that.\n\nHYIP basically High Risk Investment that promise high returns .\nAs with other investments, high gain means high risk. Many HYIP programs were proven to be scams. Most of the scam HYIPs use the ponzi scheme, and they do not invest your money elsewhere. People call them SCAMS or Ponzi.\n\nTherefore when most people heard of the term HYIP, they usually refer it as scams. They fear HYIPs. They are afraid to lose money. They are afraid of risk. They are losers in life.\n\nSo many HYIPs are ponzi! Why must we invest? and how we win ?\n\nPonzi? So what. As long as ponzi and scammers are around, we can make money. If you are afraid to lose money, leave HYIP arena. Losing money is the key and the gear to build a better investment diversification plan.\n\nthe key is : open your eyes, diversify...diversify...diversify and don't forget HYIP rules and strategy
692766
Odd-Lot stores, Job-Lot stores, 99cent stores, Salvation army stores, Thrift shop, Loot magazine, Craig's list, garage sales, fleet markets...neighbors moving out sales...\n\nand $500 Certficates of deposit bought at the bank every month...one year duration...and renewed at the end of the year. When the year end rolls around and the first comes due...add it to the $500 you use to purchase your CD's and make it $1000 and purchase a new $1000 CD. At the end of five years you will be so used to putting money away it would have become as natural to you as breathing...and it won't even dawn on you that $2500 is available to you at the end of each month. That is called paying yourself. And is independent of your Keogh, Roth IRA's, 401k's and social security money or anything resembling an annuity. It is all these things rolled into one and the emotional satisfaction of the discipline and the fact that you control exactly the money you put away...cannot be beat by anything a broker could swindle you...er...convince you into investing.\nNow that's frugality in my book.\n\nOh, yes...I have no credit cards either. Debit cards take their place. Can only spend what I have. Erma Bombeck is to others what Suzie Ormon is to the frugal.
473492
Since you are a beginner and have about $5000, the simplest way is with a mutual fund. \n\nStart at Yahoo, fund screener. \n\nKey in your parameters: $5,000, moringstar rating of 5, turnover less than 100%, expenses less than 1.0% and see what pops up. You will find funds with impressive historical results. Unfortunately, the past is not a great predictor of the future. But this is a good place to start\nOr visit Vanguard.com and key in your investment criteria and they will tell you wich funds they have meet your criteria. \n\nThe link below will show you the results for international stock funds.
1097246
invest it all, live off the returns
474581
Work efficiently, save well, invest well plus lots of luck!  I will surely put this question on my watch list since I want to know what I may have miss out!
780090
If you have 5-10,000 dollars then the money market deal is good mentioned above. But if you're like most of us that have a grand or less, you want to look into online banks for the best interest. These are a little scary because you can't walk into them and if you want to tak out money, it takes a day or two, but they pay the best interest. Check this link to compare interest rates. Good luck!\n\nhttp://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/chk/20001002j.asp
60401
when you mean "most for your return" I am thinking you mean either the greatest return with a minimum amount of risk, or I am thinking you mean overal greatest return. Risk and return have a fairly close correlation, so becides fixed incomes such as CD's, Government Bonds and Treasury's, the Risk and Return tend to be relative. Example; Stock might have a 50/50 chance of making 10% and loosing 10%, where Futures might have a 50/50 chance of gaining 25% and loosing 25%. If any one marketable security was superior in than Return was greater than Risk relative to other investments the market would immediately exploit it and the opportunity would dissapate to become relativly equivelent. \n\nAnd an investment that just has the highest potential return would be simply to purchase a marketable security probably a future purchased on almost fully on margin, that means you barrow the money to buy the future, and keep all the gains and looses and pay only a low rate of interest on the barrowed funds.  This can significantly increase risk and return if held more than a few weeks (normally an investment like this would be held for less than one day) making or loosing 40-300% could be very normal.
905594
It depends on how risky you want to be.  Do you feel confident about your ability to play the stock market?  If so you could take a chunk and invest it there.  If you are more conservative then I would suggest an ING account or a CD with the highest return of investment.  Usually a 12 month CD will carry a higher return but you cannot access this money easily without paying a penalty.  So if you want a good return with access to your money either a money market or an ING account would probably work best.  Happy investing!
1121999
I think  you'll need to invest a lot more money than that. If you earn 6% (which is about the average annual gain on an investment) you are only gaining 30,000 pounds a year, and when you withdraw that money from it, you'll lose a good portion of it to taxes and such, probably close to 1/2 of it.
1039301
Anyone can make 200% to 300% on an individual stock if they get lucky.  On my best stock pick ever, I bought it for 0.64 and sold it a year later for 12.75.  That's like 2000%.  The fact is, my stock portfolio went up only by around 40-50% that year, because the stock was not a huge part of my portfolio.  Obviously, if I'd known the stock was going to go up so much, I would have put every penny I could borrow into it, but unless you can see into the future, it's better to be safe and diversify.\n\nAnyway, as far as what you should expect to make in the stock market, if your portfolio averages 10% per year over a long period, you're doing well.  If you average 20% you're doing very well.  If you can average 30% annual returns over a long period you are getting an amazingly good return, and you should thank your lucky stars.  \n\nIf you go into the stock market expecting to make 200-300% per year, you might as well just take that money to Las Vegas instead, because you'll be taking way too many risks.  Trust me I know.
654793
I disagree with former answer in some ways. He/She is right in stating there's is no guarantee for the results of  ANY option for stocks. But I absolutely disagree when he/she says there are no investments where there is a guarantee. We have certain guarantuees for our customers, well above this percentage, but than again, we don't trade/invest in ONE thing and certaintly not in options. There are far better alternatives. If you really want to work with options you should have a strategic plan for reducing your risks. Outcome stays uncertain. Don't trade without experience (there are enough demo's out there to practise your skills) and NEVER invest with money you cannot afford to miss. So there are possibilities for higher returns than your 5%, even with guarantees, but be carefull and think about what you are looking for.
918984
Check into a reputable insurance co.  Not one offered by the bank or broker.  You can get a much higher return if you go directly to an insurance co.  Rollover your 401K to a Fixed Annuity if you like safety and want to see it grow and no risk of the market.  Hope that gives you some info.
382614
I think you would be better off putting that 20k into a 90-day CD at or around 4.5%.  Thus eliminating the chance of losing it.