If you had some cash to burn, up to $10,000, what type fund would you put it in right now? I am, for whatever reason, partial to large cap funds. I like long term growth. I like dividends. No need for the money in the near future, actually probably never will need it.

I don't want other ways to invest - I want this in the stock market.

I'm a Boglehead -- I follow John Bogle's recommendations. Note that Bogle is the guy that basically invented the "index fund."

He would generally recommend a 3-fund portfolio including:

- A Total US Market Index fund (probably about 60% of your portfolio)

- A Developed International Index fund (about 30%)

- A Bond fund (about 10%)

Of course, that Bond value would change depending on age. I'm doing the above numbers at age 49. I recently moved ALL of my retirement to this 3-fund philosophy.

Under a Schwab account, the funds would be SWTSX (Total US Market), SWISX (International), and SWAGX (Total Bond).

For Vanguard, they would be VTSAX, VTIAX, and VBTLX.

For more details, see www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Three-fund_portfolio

-John...

Note that there ARE some issues to think about when it comes to the type of retirement account (i.e. taxable or not). So, if you are interested, read through that Wiki that I linked for more info. In a taxable account, you have to think more about taxable events.

-John...

Oh, and age matters, of course. VBIAX likely makes more sense for someone around 70 or later. It's clearly pretty heavy in bonds. (Which, right now, wasn't a bad place to be, of course.) But, for those with 15+ years to retirement, it feels too bond heavy to me -- and VBIAX has no international at all, which I also think is a good idea these days (as would Bogle). :)

-John...