iShares MSCI EAFE Index (EFA) Message Board

Now may be a good time to start looking at EFA again and perhaps taking a little nibble. Don't jump in with both feet yet.

In the last 5 years, EFA has done great:

http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=EFA&t=5y&l=on&z=m&q=l&c=

This year, it has done about the same as the S&P500 index:

http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=EFA&t=1y&l=on&z=m&q=l&c=%5EGSPC

For a rookie, I say this is a pretty good investment if you can get in under 75. But I don't like putting all of my eggs in 1 basket. Diversification can minimize risk. I have about 20% of my total investments in an MSCI EAFE Index Fund, very similar to EFA.

Here is the investment strategy that I'm using. Even with the 'economic downturn', I've managed to minimize my losses.

30% S&P500 index fund
20% MSCI EAFE index fund
10% Small Cap index fund
30% Government bond fund
10% Fixed Income (Bond Market index) fund

DTH is good also.

Buy DWM instead, better record and concept.

I'd say buying EFA is a good way to hedge your money against a falling dollar. The rookie mistake is to sink all their money into an investment at one time - if it falls significantly afterwards you could have gotten a much better price. Try putting in your money a bit at a time over a longer period.

My rule of thumb is to make my individual transactions come in at under 1% commission and under 10% of my account size, and not to buy the same thing more than once per quarter.

Does it matter what some anonymous people on this board think? Your correspondant can be a twelve year old having fun and writing anything off the top of his head. Or it may be a senile old geezer who thinks he kows everything including the number of next week's winning lottery ticket.
Your friend told you to buy. Does your friend know what he's talking about? Do you know your friend? Does he know you? Do you trust him?
Ask him why he think EFA is good, check out his facts and do some homework. Personally, I think EFA is a moderately good long-term investment.
Good luck.