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Money panel

ROGER HERRNSTEEN: 61, retired, Lutz

By Times Staff Writer
Published March 12, 2006

How did you get started in investing?

In college, I was in an investment club, little nickel-and-dime stuff. After college, the earliest thing I started, I bought some land as an investment.

What is your best investment so far?

We got into some limited partnerships in the 1980s, some of which were our best and some of which were our worst. Kind of two-edged. One was on a motel, which was very good.

What is your worst investment so far?

The oil and gas partnership and the venture capital partnership.

What have you learned about investing that you think all investors should know?

Each person has a different philosophy. I do a lot of mutual funds. Don't try to compete with the people who do it full-time.

How would you describe your approach to investing?

At the early retirement stage, conservative, but keeping some in equity-type funds where you have a better chance beating the 5 percent average.

What do you find the most difficult about investing?

Just the frustration of watching the ups and downs. Agonizing over what do I do now.

How are you invested now?

We're probably 60 percent in what I would call the conservative (fixed annuities) and the other 40 percent mostly in growth income or S&P index funds.

Do you think now is a good time to invest?

Just about any time there has to be good investments.

What is your goal for your investing?

Making sure we at least have money to the end.

What is your biggest money concern right now?

I guess it's worrying about what would happen if there is some big shock to the major (economic) system, which would just (cause) tremendous confusion for a tremendous number of people.

Where do you get your investment tips?

I do some on the Internet, nothing specific, and the same with newspapers. Periodically, I go to my community library to look at investment magazines.

[Last modified March 7, 2006, 20:13:02]