I can earn a good salary under normal circumstances. This was a case of what I call a "lock-in-key" contract where my skill set matched the problem so well that I was able to negotiate triple normal rates to get things done (electrical, mechanical and software dev). This was one of those opportunities that rarely present themselves and I don't expect to see this happen again.
I've been looking at Vanguard as an idea. I need to do more research. It seems like a good option.
One of the things this highlighted was the need for more security. There was a recent thread on HN about hackers hijacking phone numbers to gain access to bank accounts, etc.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14533116
That's terrifying when you have money that could very well ensure a comfortable retirement.
I noticed you didn't mention real estate. Any thoughts on that?
Just finished a contract that left me with a little over $200K cash in the bank after taxes. Trying to be smart about what to do with it. Leaving it in the bank is not a good idea.Ideas so far: - Buy real estate, maybe rental, maybe commercial - Dump it into an index fund and hope to get 7% + per annum - Launch a startup I've had my mind on (only need $10K to $20K) - Invest in...