In reviewing my last note, I see that I also referenced currencies.

The Canadian dollar is up about 6% over the time frame (plus any interest you would earn if you bought a Canadian CD) and the Australian dollar is up about 16% (plus paying about 5% interest).

always,
tony

I wuz looking over old posts when I came across this one. This was posted in April of 2010. Here’s the results:

………………..Apr 2010…..today……..%increase

GLD………………114……… 156………..37%
GDX………………48…………61………..27%+.73%

SCGDX (DWS GOLD)….20.5……….23 ………..12% + 6.9%
TGLDX……………64…………90 ………..41% + .73%
Tocqueville Gold

The additions are capital gains and dividends distributions.

It really ain’t too hard to get 10%.

always,
tony

LOTS of places to invest money and get 10% return. HOWEVER, you ain’t gonna get it by putting it into a CD or Treasury. Anyone can get the going CD rate. If you want more, you’re gonna hafta WORK for it.

You might look at options, or commodities, or leverage. Personally, at this time, I would simply find a good gold or precious metals mutual fund and put some money into it. Maybe GDX or GLD.

Alternatively, real estate is looking pretty good right now–particularly second mortgages. Also life settlement plans.

Here’s one for you–depending on your age. Get a group of friends together and each throw ten buck into a pot every week. One of the group is the “manager”. Buy discounted second mortgages. Usually the discount is 75%, but in today’s economy you should be able to do better.

If you don’t like THAT, get a group of 5-10 folks together that have home repair skills. Many of the repossessed houses have been trashed, but most of the trashing is quite superficial. (Holes in the walls?? Just put up new sheetrock. Stove stolen–get a stove at Good Will. etc). Go to the bank and offer to take the house off their hands if they will give you a good loan. Right now, THEY are paying the taxes, insurance, upkeep, repairs, and worrying about the vandalism. (Some houses have had the copper wiring stripped out of them.) Rent them, and in ten years, sell them. The tax breaks from the depreciation alone might get you 10%.

If you don’t like that, check out “everbank”. They have foreign currency CDs that not only will appreciate against the dollar, but also pay a decent rate. (check out Canada, Austrailia)

Where is you invest your money to get a 10% return every year?

~C

Quite simple.

If you’re making twice as much as everyone else, you’re gonna live “twice as good” as everyone else. (note the quotes)

If you’re making the same as everyone else, you’re gonna live “just as well” as everyone else.

Do you want to live “just like everyone else” or “better” than everyone else?

See “How do you see the left side of the classroom” at Whiskey and Gunpowder–http://whiskeyandgunpowder.com/author/tdemaio/

rebel without a job,
tony

I figured out that sequential fun meant less work and effort. So, being lazy, I didn’t chase that brass ring of financial success. I had several years of sports car racing. Several years of deep sea fishing. Several years of hunting on a great deer lease. Several years of owning a 172. So, looking back, I had several decades of a bunch of good times–at relatively little cost.

Memories are forever, and the admission fee to the museum of my mind is $0. I don’t care who you are, there will come a time when that museum is all you have–pauper or billionaire.

But I and my family have lived pretty comfortably, and there’s something soul-satisfying in knowing I got up in the morning when I wanted to and not when somebody else told me to.

Personal freedom has a pretty high value.

Many years ago, Time magazine did a survey. They asked folks:

“What is the ideal salary?”

The results didn’t make sense until they found the key. It turned out that the answer was:

“About 20% more than my present salary.”

The effect you’re talking about is called “accomodation”. It is similar to driving at freeway speeds, then taking an off ramp and driving at 35 mph. It seems so slow for a while. Same thing with raises. It’s great at first, then you “accomodate” and “adjust”.

I once took a motivation class. The guy said that raises were much like eating. No matter how much you ate, you will be hungry again. In like manner, no matter how much of a raise you get, you will want another.

always,
tony