PowaySeller, the managers of money market funds keep the average maturity low, so there’s little risk of falling principal from interest rates.
Gold mining stocks are fine, and precious metals mining stocks are largely gold mining companies. I’m with Vanguard, and they don’t offer a mutual fund targeting gold mining companies, just a mutual fund targeting precious metals mining companies. GLD tracks gold buillion; I want leveraged exposure, hence, my parking my money in precious metals mining stocks. Just plot year end gold prices over ’87-’05 vs. VGPMX; when gold goes up, VGPMX goes up a multiple (and same on the downside!).
Foreign currency securities have too many moving parts — operating risk, legal risk, and exchange rate risk — for me, so I don’t have anything that I can pass you.
