Mutual Funds

[Person Man]

I hope that I will have a real job soon. I was talking to my step-dad in the car after moving my brother back into College. He said that I should invest 15% of income into some sort of mutual fund. The question I had is if I did, are there particular mutual funds that invest in science and technology that still perform well. Any takers on this?

Also, I had a question about returns. Over a long period, what is a good rate for returns?

[Person Man]

Yeah. that's what we thought in the truck. How much better are you likely to get than that?

[Person Man]

Looks like some good advice. However, would it be reasonable to wait until my salary is more or less fixed and I am married? What is supposed to be the next big market leader, anyway?

[Person Man]

Speaking of both of the last two. Two things were brought up, ableit indirectly, Health Care Technology and Aging. Therefore, I have two questions that are essentially one question. Will the new health care technology help me live a longer maximium lifespan and if it does, how will that effect my ability to make money and save?

What I am basically asking is if some of this healthcare technology will make it so that I can be in good health until 2070 instead of say, 2045 or 2050, so that I will have both the oppurtunity to make money and the ability to actually use it. I can see my ability to have a good retirement increasing if I feel like 40 at 65, but will still die of old age at 85 (which has become a goal of some professionals and researchers).

[Person Man]

Something around 10%/yr should be expected long-term I think.

Out to fracking lunch.

I hope that I will have a real job soon. I was talking to my step-dad in the car after moving my brother back into College. He said that I should invest 15% of income into some sort of mutual fund. The question I had is if I did,

That is not the question.  The question is why you would follow such sh**t advice.  With the advent of ETFs, there is *no* need to buy mutual funds with their insane 4% MERs.

Alright then. What is your advice? I am thinking that if I do get a job in the private sector that provides me with more money than I can make in the public sector ($158,000/yr), that my strategy would be different. What do you think I should do if I do get a big break or don't get a big break?

[Person Man]

You are probably right for me to wait until my credit is at least back into the high 600s or 700s. ..or basically until I have paid enough debt for my credit crunch to be over.

[Person Man]

Well, should I still wait until I am again credit-worthy to start saving, whether or not I am still in debt?