Post: #1

Im going on a trip to Thailand this winter and cannot wait, I miss the Thai girls :). I have been there before so I have a budget set and now I am pouring every cent I save into a separate TFSA (I live in Canada). I will have about 10k in savings I won't be touching and I am wondering the best thing to do with it until next spring when I return to work and plan to buy a condo/house. I've heard that an RRSP is a good option because it's tax refundable (something like $300 for every $1000 you put in) and if you withdraw it to buy real estate they WON'T penalize you. Any input is appreciated. If you wanna talk about LOS I'm down for that too lol.

Post: #2

Blow it on booze and hookers.

Post: #3

There's not much you can do with savings in regards to utilizing financial instruments in today's current economic climate, unless you want to invest it in high-risk securities like stocks. Interest rates are paltry. The best and safest route is just to put it in a money market account or CD, though you'll barely earn a return in 2012.

Post: #4

Have you looked into Mortgage REITS - something like Annaly (NLY) or American Capital Agency Corp (AGNC)? Yields are 12.5% and 14.4%, respectively.

They will get hit if interest rates were to creep up again. It's also putting all your eggs in one basket...but good luck finding passive yields like that elsewhere. Any decent return nowadays requires Risk. You have to make that call.

Post: #5

(09-05-2012 12:15 PM)presidentcarter Wrote:  Have you looked into Mortgage REITS - something like Annaly (NLY) or American Capital Agency Corp (AGNC)? Yields are 12.5% and 14.4%, respectively.

They will get hit if interest rates were to creep up again. It's also putting all your eggs in one basket...but good luck finding passive yields like that elsewhere. Any decent return nowadays requires Risk. You have to make that call.

Is there a certain amount of time you have to lock the $$ in for ? (6 months 12 etc) wouldn't be against locking anything in but I'd also like to have access quick if I were to find a good deal on a property.

Post: #6

Nope they're stocks so as liquid as you want them to be. That said, pull up their charts and you will see that they "correct" after a quarterly dividend payment so there is some timing involved and the strategy there depends on your near-term outlook for the stocks themselves (again remember these stocks move inversely to mortgage rates all else equal so you have to consider the broader direction of the economy and interest rates). Option A) buy right after they've paid out so you get the "corrected" aka cheaper stock price and you'll get in on the next quarters payment (will be 1/4 of total yield or 1/4 of the 12.5%/14.4%). Option B) If you assume there will be some fluctuation in the price independent of time until next dividend, you can hold off and buy closer to the ex-dividend date.

In order to realize the full 12.5/14.4%, you would need to hold for one year and keep in mind your principle may go up or down during this time as well.

Post: #7

Be careful. Are you willing to lose $10K. I think the above poster read my thread on investing. If you're serious about making money, you NEVER bet anything you're unwilling to lose.

You're also at significant tax risk if dividend taxes change, also at risk of rates. Don't buy shit you don't know. I simply gave out those stocks as home equivalent real estate investment opportunities.

Post: #8

(09-05-2012 02:41 PM)WestCoast Wrote:  Be careful. Are you willing to lose $10K. I think the above poster read my thread on investing. If you're serious about making money, you NEVER bet anything you're unwilling to lose.

You're also at significant tax risk if dividend taxes change, also at risk of rates. Don't buy shit you don't know. I simply gave out those stocks as home equivalent real estate investment opportunities.

I haven't seen your thread but will look it up.

OP - If you have a lower risk tolerance, look into high-yielding blue-chips (think AT&T). You'll get ~3-6% annual yield here, but you're still putting principal at risk. Tons of articles on which ones to look into.

Post: #9

(09-05-2012 02:53 PM)presidentcarter Wrote:  

(09-05-2012 02:41 PM)WestCoast Wrote:  Be careful. Are you willing to lose $10K. I think the above poster read my thread on investing. If you're serious about making money, you NEVER bet anything you're unwilling to lose.

You're also at significant tax risk if dividend taxes change, also at risk of rates. Don't buy shit you don't know. I simply gave out those stocks as home equivalent real estate investment opportunities.

I haven't seen your thread but will look it up.

OP - If you have a lower risk tolerance, look into high-yielding blue-chips (think AT&T). You'll get ~3-6% annual yield here, but you're still putting principal at risk. Tons of articles on which ones to look into.

Will look that up. Much appreciated.

Post: #10

Over the last 12-20 months , the only passive income I had were the ones invested in some Gold ETF 's.
But i don't know whether its wise to invest at the current levels.