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George Muñoz

Principal at Muñoz Group in Arlington, Va.

George Muñoz is a principal at Muñoz Group in Arlington.
George Muñoz is a principal at Muñoz Group in Arlington. (Todd Rosenberg - Handout)
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Sunday, July 6, 2008

If I don't want to be in stocks right now, what should I do with my investment money?

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In recessionary times, you want to protect your investment from erosion. If the stock market is not an option, try the following:

· Pay off your debts, including mortgages and home-equity lines of credit. By reducing mortgages and home-equity lines, you are protecting your line of credit for emergencies when no other credit is available.

· Put some money in TIPS, Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, which automatically adjust to cover inflation risks.

· Invest in yourself. Consider taking courses that will certify you as a specialist or help license you in a profession with better wages.

· For the more daring, invest in tourist properties in Central America and the Caribbean while that real estate plummets over the next year or so as the U.S. economy slumps and airfares rise. When things turn around, the Caribbean will again become a major destination.



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