We were discussing expanding our mutual fund portfolio (not hard, as it only contains ONE fund right now) with our step-father and mentioned adding in some international and European funds.

He agreed, cautioning to make sure we looked into funds with low expense ratios.

Then, he, a man who will proudly die never having been accused of being a smidge too politically correct, added,

Look into commodities. It’s an old story, but true. Some of these growing countries, these communist countries that were kept under oppressive regimes for so long and not allowed to participate in the market economy…. in the 1920’s, China had no middle class. And countries like India. Now everyone wants a dishwasher. That takes a lot of raw materials.

Interesting, we had never thought about it that way. Not that we’ve ever done much thinking about commodities. We do know at least international funds and commodities are hardly mutually exclusive. A nugget to save in the ol’ noggin’.

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