---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I’m going to use my good old suitcase…"
description: "\"“I’m going to use my good old suitcase metaphor one more time: A mutual fund is like a suitcase that holds dozens—and often hundreds—of individual stoc..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/451/suze-orman-1007_customer_i-m-going-to-use-my-good-old-suitcase-me_1505571.jpg"
---

#  I’m going to use my good old suitcase metaphor one more…

![“I’m going to use my good old suitcase metaphor one more time: A mutual fund is like a suitcase that holds dozens—and often hundreds—of individual stocks. If you like what is packed inside the suitcase, then you simply purchase shares of that mutual fund and, voilà, you are the proud owner of a…” quote by Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/451/suze-orman-1007_customer_i-m-going-to-use-my-good-old-suitcase-me_1505571.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/451/suze-orman-1007_customer_i-m-going-to-use-my-good-old-suitcase-me_1505571.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/451/suze-orman-1007_customer_i-m-going-to-use-my-good-old-suitcase-me_1505571.jpg)

> ““I’m going to use my good old suitcase metaphor one more time: A mutual fund is like a suitcase that holds dozens—and often hundreds—of individual stocks. If you like what is packed inside the suitcase, then you simply purchase shares of that mutual fund and, voilà, you are the proud owner of a small fraction of each one of the holdings in that suitcase. This gives you instant diversification, even though you bought just one mutual fund.””

[Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A mutual fund pools many stocks into one product, giving investors instant diversification with a single purchase.

**In simple terms:** A mutual fund lets you own many stocks at once.

Key Takeaway

Buy a fund for broad exposure.

Themes

investing diversification personal finance

Mood

educational practical

Type

advice explanatory

When to use this quote

- retirement planning
- college savings
- risk-averse investors
- first‑time investors

Key Concepts

portfolio theory risk management compound interest

Questions to Reflect On

- How does diversification affect your risk tolerance?
- What factors decide which fund you choose?

A Different Perspective

Diversification does not eliminate all risk.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Diversification](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diversification/) [Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) [Mutual fund](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mutual-fund/)

## Related quotes

> [I don't think that a mutual fund that invests exclusively in biotech start-ups or invests exclusively in companies in Thailand offers any great safety…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-chernow/i-don-t-think-that-a-mutual-fund-that-invests-exclusively-in-biotech/)

[Ron Chernow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-chernow/)

> [Mutual funds have historically offered safety and diversification. And they spare you the responsibility of picking individual stocks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-chernow/mutual-funds-have-historically-offered-safety-and-diversification-and/)

[Ron Chernow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-chernow/)

> [Mutual funds were created to make investing easy, so consumers wouldn't have to be burdened with picking individual stocks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/mutual-funds-were-created-to-make-investing-easy-so-consumers-wouldn/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [If you don't like the idea that most of the money spent on lottery tickets supports government programs, you should know that most of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/if-you-don-t-like-the-idea-that-most-of-the-money-spent-on-lottery/)

[Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/)

> [Mutual fund managers are trapped in this rather deadly vicious circle: the more successful they are, the more money flows into their mutual fund.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-chernow/mutual-fund-managers-are-trapped-in-this-rather-deadly-vicious-circle/)

[Ron Chernow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-chernow/)

> [The mutual fund industry provided the money for Intel and Motorola and Hewlett-Packard to crush the competitors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cramer/the-mutual-fund-industry-provided-the-money-for-intel-and-motorola/)

[Jim Cramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cramer/)

> [For investors who do want to speculate in high-yield bonds, one alternative may be a junk bond mutual fund, which can offer investors the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-berenson/for-investors-who-do-want-to-speculate-in-high-yield-bonds-one/)

[Alex Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-berenson/)

> [I have never been a fan of bond funds. Unlike a direct investment in an individual bond that you can hold to maturity and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/i-have-never-been-a-fan-of-bond-funds-unlike-a-direct-investment-in/)

[Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/)

> [Where I'm from we don't trust paper. Wealth is what's here on the premises. If I open a cupboard and see, say, thirty cans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/where-i-m-from-we-don-t-trust-paper-wealth-is-what-s-here-on-the/)

[Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/)

> [The fund scandals shined the spotlight on the fact that mutual fund managers were putting their interests ahead of the fund shareholders who trusted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-bogle/the-fund-scandals-shined-the-spotlight-on-the-fact-that-mutual-fund/)

[John C. Bogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-bogle/)

> [I've not found ! one single mutual fund, one single real estate investment, any gold, silver or anything else that has given me higher…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-bet-david/i-ve-not-found-one-single-mutual-fund-one-single-real-estate/)

[Patrick Bet-David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-bet-david/)

> [Mutual fund managers want your money in their funds. They get paid based on assets under management.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/mutual-fund-managers-want-your-money-in-their-funds-they-get-paid/)

[Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/)

> [Without getting into brothels, there are ethical capitalists the problem is that there aren't enough of them. It is not "just a few bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-bogle/without-getting-into-brothels-there-are-ethical-capitalists-the/)

[John C. Bogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-bogle/)

> [On investments, 1998: Where I'm from we don't trust paper. Wealth is what's here on the premises. If I open a cupboard and see,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/on-investments-1998-where-i-m-from-we-don-t-trust-paper-wealth-is/)

[Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/)

> [There's accountability in the mutual fund industry. And they've been tremendous engines of wealth for people and they're going to continue to be so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cramer/there-s-accountability-in-the-mutual-fund-industry-and-they-ve-been/)

[Jim Cramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cramer/)

## More by Suze Orman

> [I've never believed unemployment numbers because the way that they calculate unemployment makes no sense whatsoever. It's not how many people are unemployed. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/i-ve-never-believed-unemployment-numbers-because-the-way-that-they/)

[Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/)

> [Never invest emergency savings in the stock market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/never-invest-emergency-savings-in-the-stock-market/)

[Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/)

> [Just because you can afford it doesn't mean you should buy it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/just-because-you-can-afford-it-doesn-t-mean-you-should-buy-it/)

[Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/)

> [Your goal should be to pay off your credit card bills in full at the end of each month and set aside money toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/your-goal-should-be-to-pay-off-your-credit-card-bills-in-full-at-the/)

[Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/)

> [Consider a 15- or 20-year fixed-rate mortgage instead of a 30-year, if you can afford the monthly payments - they may not be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/consider-a-15-or-20-year-fixed-rate-mortgage-instead-of-a-30-year-if/)

[Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/)

> [Believing you are worthy of love means that you believe I deserve to be treated well - with respect and dignity. I deserve to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/believing-you-are-worthy-of-love-means-that-you-believe-i-deserve-to/)

[Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/)

> [Women fake orgasms and men fake finances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/women-fake-orgasms-and-men-fake-finances/)

[Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/)

> [If you're not staying on top of your money, you are putting your financial well-being at risk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/if-you-re-not-staying-on-top-of-your-money-you-are-putting-your/)

[Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/)

> [When you understand that your self-worth is not determined by your net-worth, then you'll have financial freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/when-you-understand-that-your-self-worth-is-not-determined-by-your/)

[Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/)

> [ I think Oprah's \[winfrey\] learned from me that it's OK to be harsh on people because in one's harshness you can see transformation happen… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/i-think-oprah-s-winfrey-learned-from-me-that-it-s-ok-to-be-harsh-on/)

[Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/)

> [No well-planned retirement should be without long term care insurance. It is the very cornerstone of retirement security.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/no-well-planned-retirement-should-be-without-long-term-care-insurance/)

[Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/)

> [The chances of a bank going out of business are extremely slim, but it's always a good idea to spread around major sums so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/the-chances-of-a-bank-going-out-of-business-are-extremely-slim-but-it/)

[Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/)

> [True generosity is an offering; given freely and out of pure love. No strings attached. No expectations. Time and love are the most valuable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/true-generosity-is-an-offering-given-freely-and-out-of-pure-love-no/)

[Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/)

> [Be as good to yourself as you are to those you love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/be-as-good-to-yourself-as-you-are-to-those-you-love/)

[Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/)

> [I'm a big advocate of a work-for-pay setup rather than an allowance that isn't attached to chores - it's a great way to impart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/i-m-a-big-advocate-of-a-work-for-pay-setup-rather-than-an-allowance/)

[Suze Orman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/)

[Explore all 309 Suze Orman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/)

## More Customer quotes

> [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/)

[Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/)

> [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/)

[Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/)

> [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/)

[Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/)

> [Don't think OF the market. Think AS the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-fishman/don-t-think-of-the-market-think-as-the-market/)

Michael Fishman

> [If Wall Street crashes, does Main Street follow? Not necessarily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bernanke/if-wall-street-crashes-does-main-street-follow-not-necessarily/)

[Ben Bernanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bernanke/)

> [The exact details of how you practice value investing will vary investor to investor, but the fundamental principle of scouring the world, looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/the-exact-details-of-how-you-practice-value-investing-will-vary/)

[Whitney Tilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/)

> [The best way to hold customers is to constantly figure out how to give them more for less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-kotler/the-best-way-to-hold-customers-is-to-constantly-figure-out-how-to/)

[Philip Kotler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-kotler/)

> [Perhaps the most important reason to be skeptical of government inflation numbers is that the government, like a fox campaigning to guard a hen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/perhaps-the-most-important-reason-to-be-skeptical-of-government/)

[Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/)

> [When the dollar collapses, it's not doing it in a vacuum. If the dollar loses value, it's doing so relative to some other currency.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/when-the-dollar-collapses-it-s-not-doing-it-in-a-vacuum-if-the-dollar/)

[Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/)

> [Corporations invest in sophisticated CRM, or Customer Relationship Management, programs to effectively oversee their relationship with their customers at every point during the buying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-ostrofsky/corporations-invest-in-sophisticated-crm-or-customer-relationship/)

[Marc Ostrofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-ostrofsky/)

> [I believe confusion is good. Worldwide market leaders gain when there is confusion in the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subhash-chandra/i-believe-confusion-is-good-worldwide-market-leaders-gain-when-there/)

[Subhash Chandra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subhash-chandra/)

> [Damn inflation, full speed ahead,' Greenspan has said in both action and word. I think an investor should believe him and invest accordingly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gross/damn-inflation-full-speed-ahead-greenspan-has-said-in-both-action-and/)

[Bill Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gross/)

> [“When companies get big, they devote most of their care and feeding to the business that got them big. This is as it should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-schmidt/when-companies-get-big-they-devote-most-of-their-care-and-feeding-to/)

[Eric Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-schmidt/)

> [“Salesmanship is usually the art of making it the prospect’s problem, the salesperson’s need or desire to earn money.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/salesmanship-is-usually-the-art-of-making-it-the-prospect-s-problem/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

[Browse all 9,257 Customer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“I’m going to use my good old suitcase metaphor one more time: A mutual fund is like a suitcase that holds dozens—and often hundreds—of individual stocks. If you like what is packed inside the suitcase, then you simply purchase shares of that mutual fund and, voilà, you are the proud owner of a small fraction of each one of the holdings in that suitcase. This gives you instant diversification, even though you bought just one mutual fund.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Suze Orman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/i-m-going-to-use-my-good-old-suitcase-metaphor-one-more-time-a-mutual/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Customer"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/i-m-going-to-use-my-good-old-suitcase-metaphor-one-more-time-a-mutual/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/451/suze-orman-1007_customer_i-m-going-to-use-my-good-old-suitcase-me_1505571.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/451/suze-orman-1007_customer_i-m-going-to-use-my-good-old-suitcase-me_1505571.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/451/suze-orman-1007_customer_i-m-going-to-use-my-good-old-suitcase-me_1505571.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I’m going to use my good old suitcase metaphor one more time: A mutual fund is like a suitcase that holds…” — Suze Orman",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Suze Orman",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suze-orman/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“I’m going to use my good...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/i-m-going-to-use-my-good-old-suitcase-metaphor-one-more-time-a-mutual/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suze-orman/i-m-going-to-use-my-good-old-suitcase-metaphor-one-more-time-a-mutual/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
