Stocks

My problem is that my brother (in his late 20s) is super lazy and would never do any financial planning on his own. I've been trying to get him to open a Roth IRA for a while, but no chance. So now I'm thinking of starting one for him for his birthday and setting it up so a certain portion of his paycheck will transfer automatically. But there's no way he will ever be motivated/responsible enough to do his own investing. I'm not sure what strategy to follow because I don't want to do his investments for him. Is it worth hiring a professional? Do the major online trading sites (Etrade, Vanguard, ScottTrade, etc.) offer some kind of package where you just add some money and it is professionally invested for you? Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated!! Thank you! Laura, Chicago, IL

I don't think investors should fear the march of time. The specter of a baby boomer-driven stock and bond market implosion seems implausible to me largely because of the move toward market economies around the world. By the time retiring boomers are selling in earnest, markets will be even more global than they are now. There are a lot of foreigners to buy U.S. assets.

We now want to invest some of our emergency fund that we believe is a little inflated, due to fears of the economy. I've looked around at fee-only advisers, but they all state that you should have at least $100,000 to start investing; otherwise, they don't feel like you are qualified to work with. What should we do with our money? We have about $15,000-20,000 that we want to invest, but we want to do the right thing. Could your staff help with some options? Thank you, Joshua, Riverside, CA

The markets will always have their ups and downs, but Josh Brown of Fusion Analytics thinks the best way to prepare for a long retirement is to keep a little risk in your portfolio, especially as markets are looking up.

My wife and I are transferring our Roth IRA accounts from our current institution to a new one in order to avoid a yearly maintenance fee that has been increasing every year. After selling off the funds, my current Roth IRA institution claims the funds must "settle" for a period of 3 days. Can you please explain to me what this means and if I could demand that they skip this settling and simply send me the distribution check so I can more quickly move it to the new institution? Patrick, Sheboygan, WI

Lesson learned: Market timing gurus are hazardous to your wealth.

My current car is getting up there both in years and in miles, and I'd like to replace it before anything major goes horribly wrong. If I sell some of the stock I've accumulated in my Employee Stock Purchase Plan, I should be able to pay for the car in full in cash. The other option is to finance the other half of the purchase. Which route would you recommend? Thank you! Arcadiy, Atlanta, GA

I keep reading that the lesson of the past few years is to throw out the old rules of investing. I don’t buy it. My reaction is the exact opposite. The old rules of investing were hammered out over previous bear markets, such as the Great Depression of the 1930s and the Great Stagnation of the 1970s. They still work.

Question: I have a question that's more philosophical than practical, but it's something I've never received a satisfactory answer to. Assuming...