How to Invest for the Intermediate Term  Intermediate term
refers to the financial goals you plan to reach in two to five
years through your investing. For example, if you want to
accumulate funds to put money down for investment in real estate
four years from now, some growth-oriented investments may be
suitable.  Although some stocks may be appropriate for a two- or
three-year period, not all stocks are good intermediate-term
investments. Some stocks are fairly stable and hold their value
well, such as the stock of large or established dividend-paying
companies. Other stocks have prices that jump all over the
place, such as those of untested companies that haven’t been in
existence long enough to develop a consistent track record.  If
you plan to invest in the stock market to meet intermediate-term
goals, consider large, established companies or dividend-paying
companies in industries that provide the necessities of life
(like the food and beverage industry, or electric utilities). In
today’s economic envir