I'd like to start investing. I'm thinking about:
* putting it into T-bills because I can spell "T"
* lots and lots of lottery tickets
* buying more mattresses to tuck $$$ under

Wonder how to get the most for my $$$

Start an IRA.

If you are under 55 years of age and do not spend 4 to 8 hours every week doing stock and portfolio analysis related things-- invest in mutual funds.

Learn a little bit about assett allocation. Don't try to chase the best mutual funds--you'll always get there too late and not do as well as you would in other mutual funds.

There are several excellent mutual fund families. You pay when you put new money into most fund families, but when you adjust/re-balance within the various funds you won't be charge anything in addition to what you have already paid.

Good fund families include:

Waddell and Reed -- Ivy (Among the the best family of funds slightly under the radar so good growth potential)

American Funds (most popular in the Universe pretty reliable)

Fidelity (but be careful there are soooo many)

It all depends on what your goals are (other than making lots of money and living like a rock star). Think over how long do you want to invest. Long term allows you to have an aggressive portfolio. Short term, well don't invest short term; you will get sea sick watching the market shoot up and down. When you put the money away, decide on a time period and stick to it.

PS Nice avatar!

Creating an investment strategy depends so much on where you're at in life. A strategy for a 55 year old should be very different from that of a 25 year old.
For young bucks I recommend putting most of your money in index funds and cash (in a high interest online savings account) while you read books on investing and figure a few things out. Then you can start investing in the various sectors of the market, snatch up some real estate, and pick your own stocks. www.richonanyincome.com has a few good ideas for young people in college. For older people you should also start conservatively, putting money in index funds and bonds while getting your feet wet. If you're over 55 and havent started investing you should probably talk to a professional. www.vanguard.com is a great place for anyone to start. They have very low fees and their website is easy to navigate.

Investing in mutual funds is not a bad option and after retirement one needs to plan things keeping old age in mind.Old age does not come alone,it brings ailments,disappointment,worry,happiness now and then etc.Plan to avoid troubles.

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The ability to generate a significantly high return on your investment comes with the willingness to accept a relatively low investment risk. A good investment should produce returns between ten to fifteen per cent over a number of years with a minimal risk to your money.
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