Hi Craig,

I just wanted to follow up. Your subsequent posts helped me to get a better "feel" for you - your first one kind of makes it sound like you want to market time and that you have a bit of...hubris, as db said. But, you seem to be open to ideas from us, even if some of us are a little more conservative than you, and that is good.

I do understand that some people have the time and research skills to pick stocks and stay on top of them. I own stocks. Don't get me wrong. But you are starting with a small amount, so buying stocks right now in small quantities will be costly, percentage-wise. And it would be prudent to diversify a bit at first and then build on that with individual stocks to enhance a core portfolio.

So, I think you are on the right track. ETFs are a good way to get some diversification by sector - I own Vanguard's Emerging Markets ETF. But of course you have to pay the same fee as if buying a stock.

And I do agree that you don't really need much in the way of bonds. I own very little.

Good luck!

Karen