Dave Says: Don’t sell yourself short

Dear Dave,

What is the best way to invest a one-time lump sum of $2,500? My plan is to leave the money alone and let it grow for a long time.

Karole

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Dear Karole,

Some people play single stocks on one-time investments like this, but I don’t like that idea. Single stock investments don’t consistently generate the kind of returns over long periods of time that a good mutual fund will. Why sell yourself short?

When it comes to investing, I consider 10 years or more to be a long time. That being the case, I’d suggest a growth stock or growth and income mutual fund with a solid track record of 10 to 20 years.

I hope this helps!

— Dave