Daniel "Danny" Chen

John, In my opinion, the best course of action to take in allocating this inheritence is to clearly identify your near and longer term goals. Assess the type of risk you want to take in achieving those goals and then allocate a portion to various assets to invest. Real estate as well as equities and fixed income are different types of assets that require different skill sets to evalute as a investment[ what is my entry price point and what is my exit price point]. Renting and investing are really the same thing. Do you want to maintain the investment yourself while you take an income or do you want to pay someone else to maintain the investment while you take the income? Hope this thought helps. Best of luck Dan Chen

Joss, Credit ratings on bonds reflect the ability of the issuer to pay on the principle and interest promised. Triple A reflect the highest probability that the issuer can fullfill the promise made and as a result are the safest to invest in. That being said, the bond markets in today's world are the most volatile it has been in many years. So take care and becautious when investing in bonds. This link will help with a more in depth picture http://www.treasurer.ca.gov/ratings/moodys.asp
Good Luck

Ryan, I agree with Barry for the most part. However, given the extreme volitility in today's markets, you may want to consider some type of tactical strategy that will overweight and underweight this asset class given changing global conditions while maintaining your risk profile. Good Luck, Dan Chen