Does anyone know what I should do to invest money for my child?

He has a $50 savings bond but it won't mature until he's 30 and that's it. I would like to invest it in something that will grow for him to have more money by the time he is an adult. I've never invested in anything before and am in the dark. Please help!

First of all I congratulate you for taking a smart decision for saving for your child. I am assuming this is for the college education. There are many options depending upon how comfortable you feel in managing them. You would need to open up a brokerage account that offer the option you are interested in:

1. 529 plans. Lot of states offer that and in some cases you can get income tax savings. You need to google to find more information. The disadvantage is that it does not offer many investment choices. But, if you are not into too much into investments, then it may be ok and less complex for you.

2. Certificate of Deposit (CD): They offer small return for small risk of money. About 5-6% return on average.

2. Mutual funds: They have moderate risk and moderate rewards (somewhere around 10%/yr return in average over long period, say 10-15 years).

3. Stocks: They have more risk and more return. This needs some good knowledge of the financial markets and routine follow-up in time investments. I won't recommend this for you at this time since you have never traded. But, as you understand the market better, you can start with a very small amount.

4. College pre-paid funds: Some colleges offer you pre-paid tuition account for the tuition at the current rate. You contribute regularly, pre-tax to this account. The problem is if your kid doesn't want to go to this college, then that money is wasted.

I would suggest do some on-line research, and talk to financial consultants and friends, to get a better education in this area to make a good decision that you feel comfortable with.


Hope this helps. Good luck.

Buy DIA or SPY, which are funds that trade like stock, and mirror the overall marketing, e.g. DIA mirrors the Dow Jones and SPY the S&P 500.

They represent the larger market, and will perform as well as the market performs with minimal cost to you.... you can always add or sell on demand whenever you want.

S&P average return is 10%

By the time he's 30, he will have a lot of money!

My advice is to start investing in a college savings plan...either a 529 plan or state sponsored pre-paid tuition plan. Contributions grow tax deferred and are tax free at withdrawal if used to pay for higher education. The greatest gift you can give your child are the tools needed to reach his or her's full potential. I have seen many parents who make significant incomes during their lives struggle to find the money to pay for their kids college education because the failed to plan accordingly. It's easy to set up a college savings plan and the link below is a great resource.

You should get couple funds, one which will focus on domestic (US) stocks, and one that will focus on international stocks. This is the best way to go.

$50 is not a significant amount of money. You may be better off just leaving it in the bond.

If you cash in a bond before it is 5 years old, you forfeit 3 months of interest.

Perhaps the best way to accumulate money for your child is to set aside a small portion each payday, and invest it in a mutual fund. Of course, you'll need to strat the MF first, and you'll probably need some money to do it, most MF companies accept $100-$200 as a starting amoutn for a child.

Just check with a reputable MF company like Fidelity, Vanguard, and they will be happy to help you.

Here is an idea for you, there is an exchange traded fund (ETF), it trades just like a common stock and its symbol is NY. They hold shares in the 100 biggest stocks (by market capitalization) on the New York Stock Exchange. Right now it is selling at something around $75 a share, but a service like sharebuilder can let you buy in for about $4 a trade, or you can do it monthly. The thing about this, NY, is that your son's money for the future is in big companies, those that do big things and make big money, but it doesn't cost a lot to get a piece of that. This has been trading in the mid-60s for half-a-year but has risen, so be prepared in the future for the possibility that you won't be able to buy many shares for very long if it stays high and goes higher. Consider what his favorite store or restaurant is, if it is a chain there is a good chance that you could buy stock in it, which will excite him everytime you go there. One more thing, if you buy something that has dividends, you might check on a dividend reinvestment program (the broker will have information).

Smitty gave you the best answer. 529 college plan. You save taxes in the process. You got another answer that suggested a couple of index funds. One domestic and one foreign. That suggestion is hitting one all 8 cylinders also.

I can not add any better suggestions.

The bond? Well not much you can do with that. From here on out? Look to see if their is a college investment fund in your state. Over the years relatives and family members can invest a bit here and there. Plus it's and easy gift. Otherwise open an IRA at the bank and put in a bit here and there. It will grow over time.

Put money into a prepaid college fund. His/her college will be paid for. Millions of graduates owe student loans and burden them for years.