How do i set up investment portfolio for my retirement?

looking for tax deferred and balance

i have 5 years until retirement and 100k to invest now

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If your employer offers a 401 (k), start there. Your contributions are put in tax free and they grow tax free. You are taxed when you take money out of the fund and are penalized if you take it out prior to being 59 and 1/2.

If your employer doesn't offer a 401 (k), a Roth IRA would be another option. You are taxed on what you put in, however, your investment grows tax free and you withdraw it tax free. You have the age penalty there too.

Tax deferred and balance.

Since you already have the 401(k) & IRA working for you...sounds like you might need to look into a tax-deferred annuity. They work well for some folks and not so well for others, so do a little research.

Also, keep in mind that capital gains tax is only due when you sell and realize a gain. This is another way for you to defer taxes (defer selling until you need to).

Here is a plan I found works very well:

1) Put $20,000 in a bank short notice savings a/c for income and emergencies.

2) Invest the rest in 5 or 6 equity income mutual funds with a good track record and low charges, investing in US, UK and Asian stock markets. You will have professional management with good safety.

3) Any surplus income reinvest into the same funds to compound their growth, or buy individual shares if you want some thrills.

The 5 year window makes it hard to feel comfortable with putting that sum into the stock market. I would probably concentrate on CDs with a 5 year time frame in mind.

perhaps you can try forex. which is also excellent way for you to invest.

The FOREX or Foreign Exchange market is the largest financial market in the world, with an volume of more than $1.5 trillion daily, dealing in currencies. Unlike other financial markets, the Forex market has no physical location, no central exchange. It operates through an electronic network of banks, corporations and individuals trading one currency for another.

try forex from here:

http://www.bernanke.cn/easy-forex/

Good Luck && Wish you make a fortune!

It depends on your goals.

If you want a low-risk strategy, look at cash, money market, short-term bonds etc.

If you're looking for double-digit, find a proven strategy with audited results.

Below is a link to my website; my approach has always allowed investors to double their money with four times less risk than holding an S&P 500 index tracker. Results have been audited by an independent third party.

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Good luck

Marc