Dec 19, 1998. OK readers, here is what you've been waiting for. Where do I put my money for the long term and so that I'll be able to sleep at nights? And have a nice nest egg when it's all said and done. Very simple. Mutual Funds. Can it be any more simpler then that? I myself have been a believer in mutual funds since my first moneys were invested a long time ago. I still have a portion of it in my IRA account today. Will it be there for the next how many years? It's like saying how long is a person going to live.

There a few things that a person has to keep in mind. One thing is that cash and bonds don't grow, they only pay interest. I'm not saying that a person shouldn't have a few of these goodies in their portfolio, which they should. But they are only for diversification. Just is case you need some liquidity. Have no fear about cash and bonds, they're not that complicated. It just takes more time to digest. A lot more time. But, more on bonds in future articles.

Here are a few of my favorite funds:

° Fidelity Dividend Growth (FDGFX) 3 yr. Average - 35%

° American Century Income & Growth (BIGRX) 3 yr. Average - 26.9%

° Harbor Capital Appreciation (HACAX) 3 yr. Average - 24.4%

These three you can just leave alone and forget about until you're ready to retire or buy your dream house (or 2nd house).

George