Using gut instincts to invest in the future

IF YOU BELIEVE THE STOCK MARKET IS HEADING TO THE MOON, THEN CONSIDER BROAD-BASED INDEX FUNDS. A few years back, the idea of the Dow hitting 26,000 was as nutty as (hee-hee!) self-driving

cars. Look at things now. The major stock index has quadrupled in value since March 2009 — and last summer, stocks set the record for the longest bull market in U.S. history. If you think

the Dow is destined for 36,000, the surest thing to buy is a total stock market index fund, which mirrors the performance of the broad market, says Maria A. Bruno, head of U.S. wealth

planning research at Vanguard. One of your many choices is the Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund (VTSMX). The SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) is another potential pick. Replacement knees and

hips were only the start: Prepare for spares for other body parts. Cagan notes that biotech company United Therapeutics (UTHR) recently teamed up with 3D printing firm 3D Systems (DDD) to

create organs for transplants. Orthopedic-device makers are developing “pretty much replacement parts for your skeleton,” says Debbie Wang, a Morningstar senior equity analyst. She

recommends Stryker Corporation (SYK) or Wright Medical Group (WMGI). Companies are also getting better at creating implants that take over the function of the heart, she adds; her

suggestions are Edwards Lifesciences (EW) or Abbott Laboratories (ABT).  LONGEVITY       IF YOU BELIEVE SOMEDAY SOON, PEOPLE ROUTINELY WILL LIVE TO 120, THEN CONSIDER RETIREMENT HOUSING. If

we live longer, we'll need places designed for that, observes Nathan Geraci, president of the ETF Store. One choice is the Janus Henderson Long-Term Care ETF (OLD). The fund has big

holdings in real estate investment trusts that have long-term care facilities. Another option is Global X's Longevity Thematic ETF (LNGR), which has more exposure to health care,

pharmaceuticals and biotech. IF YOU THINK SUPER-VIRUSES POSE A THREAT TO OUR LONGEVITY, THEN CONSIDER BIOTECH. What will save us if a virus puts the globe in peril? Consider Merck (MRK), a

leader in the fight against the Ebola virus, Collins notes. O'Hare suggests the iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF (IBB), because it includes a broad selection of biotech firms. TRAVEL IF

YOU BELIEVE WE'LL TRAVEL THE WORLD MORE OFTEN, THEN CONSIDER CRUISE LINES, HOTELS AND MORE FUN. 3 MORE TRENDS YOU CAN BELIEVE IN * THINK COLD, HARD CASH WILL BE GONE SOON? Established

companies such as Visa (V), Mastercard (MA) and American Express (AXP) are in a prime spot for profiting from an electronic currency revolution, O'Hare says. * THINK SECURING OUR

BORDERS IS THE KEY TO A SAFER AMERICA? Collins points to Eagle Materials (EXP), with its cement assets (think border wall with Mexico) in the American Southwest. The industrial giant Cemex

(CX) has cement assets in both the U.S. and Mexico. * THINK HALF OF AMERICA WILL HAVE DIABETES SOMEDAY? There's a fund for that, Geraci notes. The Obesity ETF (SLIM), from Janus

Henderson, holds stocks of companies involved in the treatment of health issues associated with obesity, including diabetes. Why not profit off the ways we'll retire? O'Hare sees

the booming cruise industry — so popular with consumers 50 and older — as a recipient of leisure dollars, particularly Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL), Carnival (CCL) and Norwegian (NCLH).

That spending on good times, he says, will extend to airlines United (UAL), American (AAL) and Southwest (LUV), along with hotel chains Marriott (MAR), Hilton (HLT) and Hyatt (H). Collins

also suggests travel-site operators TripAdvisor (TRIP) and Expedia (EXPE), because they stand to benefit from increased travel. IF YOU THINK OUTER SPACE WILL BE THE NEXT RESORT, THEN

CONSIDER SPACE TECH. "Beam me up, Scotty” might someday be as common as hailing an Uber. If consumer space travel takes off, look to Boeing (BA) to fly high, O'Hare points out,

because the most popular space-tourism businesses — Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin — are still privately held. Or consider, Cagan says, blue chip DowDuPont (DWDP), maker

of the sturdy fiber Kevlar, used in space suits and on the International Space Station.