Invest Overseas

Investing overseas is an important part of a healthy investing plan.  Any single market is subject to the ups and downs of business cycles (recessions and growth), but investing in different and diverse markets is a way to reduce this risk.  With that said, realize that all markets are somewhat related and that the global economy can be tough everywhere at once.  Even though established markets that you are comfortable with are the easiest (psychologically) to invest in, they aren't always the best.  For example, during 2005-2006, markets other than the US, Europe and Asia performed very well - some in excess of 300% per year.  By investing overseas you can diversify your portfolio of investments and maybe even increase your total return.