Robert Shumake

If you work for yourself, you may be trying to put a little money away here and there to make sure you have some money down the road when you retire. But just putting money in a savings account may not bring enough of a return to have the money you need when you are ready to retire. Instead you need to look for a way to make your money grow from now until you are ready to retire so you have a nice little nest egg waiting for you.

This is when you want to set yourself up with a Roth IRA. This is an independent retirement account that you can set up for yourself and then fill with various investments that will hopefully gain a great return on your investment dollars.

First you need to decide how much you are investing. Some of this will depend on how much income you can spare to put away each month. Another part of it will be what the law allows you to invest each month, as there are caps on contributions to many retirement accounts.

Knowing how much you have to invest monthly is also important to know what you can buy. Some real estate investment trusts (REITs) have certain levels that you have to buy in at and you will need to know you can meet the minimum buy in.

One you know what you are going to invest on a monthly basis, it is time to figure out what you are going to be investing in. This is when you need to do a lot of research. There are plenty of real estate mutual funds and REITs out there and each of them have different pros and cons. In order to pick the one that will be best for your investment plan you will need to research all the ones that interest you and then narrow down to the ones you think would be the wisest to buy.

When it comes to research, it's easier if you can do it all in one place. This is something you can do when you are using REITBuyer.com. REITBuyer is the first and only online brokerage that specializes in real estate mutual funds and REITs. So, their website is focused on having all of the information you need in one place to make it easier for you to choose the funds you want to purchase as well as being able to purchase and monitor them in the same place.

A final note on a way to see those retirement dollars really grow in real estate mutual funds and REITs - compounding. When you get dividend checks from the REITs and real estate mutual funds, you need to make sure you put them back into your investment. While it may not seem like those dividend checks are a lot, if you roll them back into the investment you can really begin to see a snowball effect of your retirement growing into a very large next egg.

REITbuyer.com, a website designed to educate investors on REIT buying and investing in Real Estate Mutual Funds. Whether you are a savvy investment guru or a new investor looking for guidance, Reitbuyer.com has everything you need to be successful. Visit http://www.reitbuyer.com for more information.

If you have recently left a job you may have ended up with a payout of your retirement money that had been growing in stocks, bonds, mutual funds and other stock market investments in your retirement account. Do you know what that means? You are about to have the federal government take some of that money away.

First, there will be an automatic 20% withholding to pay federal taxes (not to mention any possible state taxes). On top of that, if you are not 59 ½ years old there will be an additional 10% taken away as an early withdrawal penalty against you. Also keep in mind as soon as you cash that check, you have added it to your income. It could move you into a higher tax bracket meaning even more of your money will be collected by the government.

But, it doesn't have to be that way. If you are wise with this money and don't spend it, you can let it continue to grow for you without losing any of it. Instead of spending that money, you need to roll it into a new retirement account for yourself. Rules differ by state and policy for how to do this but many times you can roll your investment from the retirement plan at the company you are leaving to a new retirement plan (either 401K or Roth IRA) without being penalized.

Make sure you know how this works because there is usually a set time frame you must complete this in order to be free of any penalties. If you are going to put the money into an IRA, you are going to likely be making the decision of where it is going. That means you need to know which investments are the wise ones to make.

The first thing you need to do is select a market to invest in. Since you want to make sure this money will be around when you get to retirement age, you may not want to choose high-risk categories. Instead you should look for a more stable and grounded market like real estate.

While real estate mutual funds and REITs have great potential for positive returns, they are also more stable than many other markets as they are based on something that will not disappear, property. While real estate can fluctuate in value, it will always come back around.

When it comes time to find the best real estate mutual fund or REIT for your retirement investing dollars, you should go to a site that specializes in this market. REITBuyer.com is just such a site. They are the first and only online brokerage that specializes in REITs and real estate mutual funds. In addition to being able to do all the research you need to know what is wise to buy, they are also the place to make your purchase and then monitor your portfolio and watch your money continue to grow.

REITbuyer.com, a site dedicated to educating Real Estate Investors on how to invest in Real Estate Mutual Funds to diversify their investing portfolio. Learn more at http://www.reitbuyer.com

If you are considering jumping into the world of investing in stocks, bonds, mutual funds and the other offerings of the stock market you want to make sure to step into these waters wisely and not make major mistakes that will cost you dearly in the long run.

Start Small

The first thing you should keep in mind when entering into the world of investing is that you should start small. This is no different than getting into a new body of water or beginning a new exercise schedule. You want to warm up first or dip a toe in the water and test out how things feel before jumping in with everything you have.

In this case give yourself a small sum of money that you are comfortable parting with to begin your investing and keep in mind it is possible that it will lose value once you begin to invest.

Think Before You Spend

One of the big flaws many people make when they start investing is putting money into something just because 'they like it'. Liking a name or logo of a company is not a good reason to put money into it. Instead you should get to know what you are considering investing in before you put your money on the line. Do your research, find a group of investments that you are interested in and then choose the best one(s) to buy.

If you enlist the help of a website like REITBuyer.com you will be able to find all the research on REITs and real estate mutual funds that you need in one place. They will not only be able to help you find reports and analysis of the real estate mutual funds and REITs you are considering, but you can also move forward and buy them in the same place.

Set a Budget and Stick to It

Once you find the investments you want to put your money into, don't go overboard. You need to set a comfortable budget that you will not be heartbroken or strapped for cash if something happens (like a market crash) and you lose the money for a while as you wait for the market to regain ground).

Sometimes you will find yourself wanting to go overboard and spend spend spend! Hold yourself back. Make sure you keep within your budget so you don't regret it later.

Reinvest Any Dividends

One way many people don't think of to make their money grow a little faster while keeping to a budget is to reinvest their dividends into the investment portfolio. Instead of cashing that dividend check put it right back into the fund and allow it to continue to add to your bottom line. The more you reinvest the more money will be pulling in higher dividends each time and the faster you will be able to enjoy watching your money grow into a nice investment portfolio that will be there when you need it.

REIT Buyer.com, a full service online information resource dedicated to assisting investors who are interested in learning more about Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), Real Estate Mutual Funds and how to invest in them. Visit http://www.reitbuyer.com to learn more.

Every year many people get the investing bug. It could be a book they read about stocks, a TV show they saw about mutual funds, bonds and playing the stock market, or just a story from a friend who made a great profit off of their investments. Sometimes one of these triggers can be all it takes to get someone into the investing arena and trying to see a great profit. However, investing is not something that should be entered into blindly.

Market Understanding

The first thing you need to do is choose a market to invest in. Many people who are looking for a more stable market choose real estate, as it is a market grounded on a tangible item - property. This could mean investing in properties, property management, services and financials relating to property deals.

Learn all you can about the market before you decide to put money into it. One great place to do this is to go to a website like REITBuyer.com. It is the first and only online brokerage that specializes in real estate mutual funds and REITs and is loaded with resources that will help you better understand this market.

Research

Before you ever purchase a REIT or real estate mutual fund, you need to know as much about it as you can. The more you know the better you can make a confident purchase that you will be pleased with in the long run. Therefore, you should use all the research available on REITBuyer to find out all you can about a REIT or mutual fund before you make a purchase. In addition to researching the main fund, you may even want to look into the stocks and bonds inside the fund to really understand what makes it tick.

Among the things you will want to know is the risk versus return ratio of an investment. While all investments have risk associated with them, some are more volatile than others. Often stocks and individual bonds are considered risky, while mutual funds and REITs are considered less of a risky choice.

You can also use reports from the past of a fund to get an idea of where it will be going in the future. Many analysts publish their return assessments of an investment, which will give you an idea of whether it is going to make your money grow quickly, slowly or not at all.

Market News

Once you know you want to be investing in the real estate market, you need to start to pay more attention to investment news. On REITBuyer, they have an ongoing market news feed that will make sure you can easily find the latest business news stories that impact your market. This is vital as what is happening in business news will usually have an impact (either good or bad) on your investments. The more you understand what is happening in the news, the better idea you will have as to what may be happening to various investments and react accordingly.

This article was written by Earl E. Bird, spokes person for the REITbuyer.com, a site dedicated to educating Real Estate Investors on how to invest in Real Estate Mutual Funds to diversify their investing portfolio. Learn more at http://www.reitbuyer.com

As you consider your real estate mutual fund and REIT investments, it is important to take a closer look at many of the offerings out there. This article will focus on Delaware Pooled Real Estate Inv Tr II (DPRTX).

Fund Profile

Delaware Pooled Real Estate Inv Tr II holds 3.2 million dollars in assets that are focused in the real estate service and manufacturing industries. Within the fun are 42 stock holdings.

Fund Performance and Ratings

Delaware Pooled Real Estate Inv Tr II currently has a 4-star rating as an investment with an above average expected return and a below average investing risk.

Where Does it Invest?

Delaware Pooled Real Estate Inv Tr II focuses the majority of its investments in real estate related services with a small amount in real estate manufacturing. 96.25 percent of the portfolio is invested in financial services, 2.39 percent in manufacturing and less than one percent each in real estate related business services and consumer services.

Who's in Charge?

Babak Zenouzi manages Delaware Pooled Real Estate Inv Tr II. He is in charge of the REIT group at Delaware Investments and leads a number of their funds. Zenouzi has two decades in the financial arena initially with Delaware Investments in the 90s. In 1999 he left Delaware and worked with Chartwell Investment Partners for seven years before returning to Delaware in 2006. He is also a member of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts.

How does it Choose Investments?

Delaware Pooled Real Estate Inv Tr II fund looks for a well-blended portfolio. When weighed together their holdings are mainly in middle to large markets with some smaller items tossed in. Additionally, it looks for a balance of value and growth stocks, or those that show characteristics of both.

What's in the Portfolio?

Among the offerings in the Delaware Pooled Real Estate Inv Tr II portfolio are Simon Property Group Inc, Vornado Realty Trust, Boston Properties, Inc., Equity Residential, Public Storage, Kimco Realty Corporation, HCP, Inc., ProLogis Trust, Macerich Company and AvalonBay Communities Inc.

Adding to Your Portfolio

Before adding any real estate mutual fund or REIT to your portfolio, you need to make sure you know what you are getting into.

Remember, you are putting your money on the line and you want to make sure you put it in a wise place. Do your research before buying in to any REIT or real estate mutual fund.

Thankfully finding the information you need to be educated enough to make a wise decision is not too difficult. Simply go to REITBuyer.com and you can enjoy one stop research and shopping. REITBuyer.com is the first and only online brokerage that specializes in REITs and real estate mutual funds. That kind of focus means you will easily have access to all the information you need relating to REITs and real estate mutual funds at your fingertips to make wise investment decisions. Once you decide on the REITs and real estate mutual funds to buy you will be able to make the purchase and monitor your portfolio in the same place.

This article was written by Earl E. Bird, III, spokes person for the REITbuyer.com, a website designed to educate investors on REIT buying and investing in Real Estate Mutual Funds. Whether you are a savvy investment guru or a new investor looking for guidance, Reitbuyer.com has everything you need to be successful. Visit http://www.reitbuyer.com for more information.