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Money panel

MARK APPLEGATE: 50, aircraft mechanic, St. Petersburg

By FRED W. WRIGHT JR.
Published April 30, 2006

How did you get started in investing?

I started buying stocks about 10 years ago. I wanted to buy my kids some stocks.

What is your best investment?

Probably real estate, residential.

What is your worst investment?

Tech stocks. Kmart was one.

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

I go for the blue chips: GE, ExxonMobil, Disney. I think they have a proven record, pretty much, but I'm diversified, too - not only tech or blue chip.

How would you describe your approach to investing?

I kind of research it a little bit. Not a lot. See how they're doing. I think I've turned very conservative now - going for the sure bet. Ten years ago, I wasn't.

What do you find the most difficult about investing?

You want a sure bet, and I don't think there's a sure bet out there.

How are you invested?

I think I'm more in real estate than I'm in stocks. My wife and I both have 401(k)s. About 50 percent in real estate, 30 percent in 401(k)s and 20 percent in stocks.

What changes have you made in your investments in the past year?

In our 401(k)s, we're definitely doing international stocks - Latin America. I do Canada and Japan. Anything new we put into it go into internationals.

Do you think now is a good time to invest?

They say when the real estate market starts tanking a little bit, everybody goes back to the stock market. I think the air's coming out of the real estate market.

What is your goal for your investing?

To have a half-million in our 401(k)s by the time we retire.

What is your biggest money concern?

We have credit card debt. Pay them off.

Where do you get investment tips?

I go to Web sites for our 401(k)s. And the newspaper.

[Last modified April 28, 2006, 19:19:01]