[sloaken]

Depending on your time horizon, I recommend 3 pots:

1) Need in the next 1-2 years - Money market account

2) 3-7 years - value funds (either ETF or Mutual funds)

3) 7+ - growth funds (either ETF or Mutual funds)

Individual stocks take effort to watch. Make sure you do not buy just before a dividend (you will pay tax on the money they give back to you). Watch for bad news, so you can pull your money before they go bankrupt.

ETF are lightly managed, your money grows as that segment grows. Which is not a bad idea.

Mutual funds - someone is actively watching it. Which can hopefully mean it avoids a bad turn, but it can burn money being churned.

Safest bet is an EFT that tracks the S&P 500

I expect Real Estate funds to take a gut punch when things open up and the businesses fold and they have no rent coming in. So I plan to put money there, after it falls.

[sjperez]

Thanks for your comments--I'm curious about real estate funds and have been looking into REITs, but your point about what happens when things open up is a good one. I've been looking at Fundrise and similar services but I have such a knowledge gap about real estate that I'm not sure I could make smart decisions on individual funds. I'm willing to tolerate some risk, but need to get smart on the involved issues first.

[idoescompooters]

Money markets aren't looking so hot lately...

[sloaken]

Money Markets never look good, but they are 1) better than a savings account at the bank 2) less likely stolen by a relative when hidden under the mattress.

Money markets typically pay just better than inflation. Not so much a place to get rich, as a safe place for the money over the next year or two.