I like the lessons in children’s stories (ranging from “The Little Engine that Could” to “The 3 Little Pigs”). This article is about another one, “The Emperor’s New Clothes” as it relates to 5 popular but terrible investments, and I suspect it will tick a lot of people off. However, opposing viewpoints can be valuable, so keep that in mind as I run through these 5 investments which I believe have virtually no place in practically everyone’s investment portfolio.

Maybe it’s your emergency fund. Maybe it’s your savings for near-term expenses. The stock market is WAY too risky in the short-term, so where can you safely park your cash that also earns a decent yield? This report reviews two compelling options (Vanguard bond ETFs) for you to consider. I use them both regularly.