Most retirement savers are determined to keep their investments simple. They stash most of their savings in low-cost index funds or in target-date funds, which are portfolios of diversified funds that become more conservative as you approach retirement. This strategy has served savers well in recent years: The S&P 500 index was up 36% for the past year and 18% annualized for the past five years (through September 10).
But if you’ve been following the news, you may be wondering if that’s all there is. Bitcoin has generated enormous returns for people who invested in the cryptocurrency years ago (or even months ago). The white-hot housing market has priced out many homebuyers, leading to increased demand for rental properties. Some investors have profited by buying and selling so-called meme stocks, such as GameStop and AMC. And there’s always the temptation to make a long-term bet on an obscure company that could turn out to be the next Amazon.
If you own a traditional or Roth IRA, you can invest in just about anything, with the exception of life insurance and collectibles, such as antiques. Employer-provided 401(k) and other retirement plans are more restrictive, but some allow you to trade individual stocks and specialty funds (see the box on page 60).
This story is from the November 2021 edition of Kiplinger's Personal Finance.
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This story is from the November 2021 edition of Kiplinger's Personal Finance.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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