Just Opened Roth IRA!! Now What?

[Chris04626]

I am a 32 man married with 3 kids. My job does not offer benefits of any kind. I just opened up a roth ira with Ameritrade. I didnt have much to put in $200  Now i dont just leave the money in there i need to chose something to invest in.   Thoughts Stocks, Efts or Mutual Funds?

I am not looking to strike it rich but rather have some money for retirement. What are your suggestions on which way to go. I have doen some reading and some "experts" say to go stock, some say to go eft and some say to go mutual fund.

So i figured id come here and ask whats the safest route to go? What is a safe to invest in.

[Eric]

I am a 32 man married with 3 kids. My job does not offer benefits of any kind. I just opened up a roth ira with Ameritrade. I didnt have much to put in $200  Now i dont just leave the money in there i need to chose something to invest in.   Thoughts Stocks, Efts or Mutual Funds?

I am not looking to strike it rich but rather have some money for retirement. What are your suggestions on which way to go. I have doen some reading and some "experts" say to go stock, some say to go eft and some say to go mutual fund.

So i figured id come here and ask whats the safest route to go? What is a safe to invest in.

That you're looking for the safest bet and also because you seem to be confused as to the relationship between EFTs, Mutual Funds, and Stocks, makes me think you should do some more reading before allocating that money to any specific investment.  I think this is a good primer.

http://jlcollinsnh.com/stock-series/

[Shor]

I would say aim for a free ETF which TD Ameritrade offers otherwise the trade fee will kill your principal!
Also, the amount you put in is barely a blip on the radar. Look to how you might be able to put aside more money to push in to this retirement account.

A lot more details would be necessary regarding income, expenses, savings etc.
Maybe try a case study in the general forum with more details on your situation to get more general advice on how to improve your savings rate and increase your principal! It's a good start down the right path though!

[chucklesmcgee]

I would say aim for a free ETF which TD Ameritrade offers otherwise the trade fee will kill your principal!

VTI is a great choice, total stock market index, fee-free. Be sure to click through and register for free ETF trades before you purchase, otherwise you'll get hit with a fee.

[Chris04626]

Everyone i have talked to and told them i have no employee benefits and no retirement account set up they all say you need to open up a roth ira there easy.  Sure opening it is easy as signing up for a bank account but getting starting is the difficult part lol probably why i have never bothered up until this point

I have read that VTI is a good option to start out with. Price right now is 94.16        Thoughts should i buy one of these and try another or should i put my whole 200 i started with on this?

[GlassStash]

I am a 32 man married with 3 kids. My job does not offer benefits of any kind. I just opened up a roth ira with Ameritrade. I didnt have much to put in $200  Now i dont just leave the money in there i need to chose something to invest in.   Thoughts Stocks, Efts or Mutual Funds?

I am not looking to strike it rich but rather have some money for retirement. What are your suggestions on which way to go. I have doen some reading and some "experts" say to go stock, some say to go eft and some say to go mutual fund.

So i figured id come here and ask whats the safest route to go? What is a safe to invest in.

That you're looking for the safest bet and also because you seem to be confused as to the relationship between EFTs, Mutual Funds, and Stocks, makes me think you should do some more reading before allocating that money to any specific investment.  I think this is a good primer.

http://jlcollinsnh.com/stock-series/

+1. Also, have you considered opening up/contributing to a traditional IRA instead of a Roth? There are pros and cons to both, but depending on your situation, it may be worth looking at. Mr. Collins's stock series will have an explanation of both "buckets."

[phred]

Since you seem to know nothing about investing, I would choose an index-based mutual fund for now.  After you've seriously studied investing for a year you may discover your own path.  With what I believe is your income level, I would have chosen a regular IRA to be able to take an income deduction this year.  You might also fund an HSA for your family