Investing Information Information Research

Tell a Friend about this Site

Mutual Fund Selection Made Simple By Indexing!


Non-indexed mutual funds try to keep it secret that actively managed mutual very funds rarely do better stock market indexes. The higher fees of the managed funds really make it hard for these funds to out compete indexed funds. Smart financial journalists occasionally rat out fund managers for not educating the public in this regard. When this happens the mutual fund managers make a feeble attempt at self defense by pointing to something called the 5% rule.

This rule says that for a fund to market itself as diversified it cannot have more than 5% of 75% of the funds total assets in a single stock. In other words, a fund can have 25% of its holdings in a single stock, but the remaining 75% must follow the 5% rule. The 5% rule was created by the Investment Company Act Requirement. Fund managers claim that this hampers their performance instead of admitting that they are in the business just to clip you for high fees while the mutual fund under-performs the general market.

The truth is that the big killer is the herd mentality of active fund managers. They follow each other around buying and selling the same junk. They flock to the same familiar companies and often overlook the new, obscure companies that show great promise. They take great comfort in knowing that, even if their fund misses out on a great opportunity, most of the others in its group will too. They also know that they can pull their huge fees out during the whole time your retirement savings are parked in their fund. Over the years they spend a lot of marketing money to make you think that they actually care.

That is certainly not the attitude I want the manager of my retirement to have! You should be asking your self why the mutual funds don't just mimic the same portfolio stock composition as a major index like the S&P 500 stock market index. Well, some have and those that are indexed out perform actively managed funds at the minimum management cost. For this reason I strongly recommend that if you can only buy mutual funds as in the case of the 401(k) then restrict your purchases to indexed funds like the Vanguard 500 (VFINX).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr. Scott Brown, Ph.D., a.k.a. "The Wallet Doctor", is a successful futures trader, real estate investor, and stock investor. Dr. Brown holds a Ph.D. in finance from the University of South Carolina. His 1998 articles in Technical Analysis of Stocks and Commodities were prophetic in predicting an impending stock market crash. He has helped many people become profitable investors by teaching them to look out over many years to spot stocks that are low and primed for rise in the new bull market. His second article met with approval by Dr. Bob Shiller of Yale University. Dr. Shiller is the economist that Alan Greenspan most highly regards who coined the term "Irrational Exuberance." In 1998 he shouted to the world to "get out" of the stock market but now he is shouting to everyone that it is time to "get in!" The Wallet Doctor is not only sought after for investment advice and coaching in stock investing but also in futures trading and real estate investing. Visit Dr. Brown's site at http://www.BonanzaBase.com or sign up for his investment tips at http://www.WalletDoctor.com


MORE RESOURCES:

An exit strategy is a must with momentum investing
USA Today
Momentum isn't a long-term investment strategy: It's a trading strategy. If you decide to try momentum investing, you should have an exit plan before you ...

and more »


Yale Sticks With Investment Model
Wall Street Journal
Despite criticism of the "Yale model" of investing amid the financial crisis, the school stood by Chief Investment Officer David Swensen's ...

and more »


Globalequityreport.com Announces an Investment Report Featuring Zevotek, Inc.
CNNMoney.com (press release)
 The report includes financial and investment analysis, analyst consensus, and pertinent industry information you should know before you make an educated ...

and more »


Investing Decision Centers
MSN Money
The former Federal Reserve chairman blames the bubble on too much cash sitting around globally, earning too little return. Alan Greenspan doesn't believe he ...

and more »


Buffett's Top 10 Investing Secrets
Motley Fool
Keeping this warning in mind, I've assembled Warren Buffett's top 10 nuggets focusing solely on his area of unquestioned expertise -- investing. ...

and more »


The Money Times

The Best Investing Ideas in Technology
Motley Fool
But tracking monthly trends across the market can lead to great investment ideas, as well as shed new light on stocks you already have in your portfolio. ...
Build Your Fortune With These WinnersMotley Fool

all 31 news articles »


Satya Capital to invest $200 mln in Africa this year
Reuters
"I would not be investing in Africa if I'm not bullish about Africa," he told Reuters on the sidelines of a media conference. He said the global financial ...

and more »


optionsXpress Rated by Barron's 4+ Stars for Options Traders and Long-Term ...
CNNMoney.com (press release)
As the article notes, over the past year optionsXpress made a significant investment in tailoring its service to customer needs, using information gathered ...

and more »


VIDEO: CHP investing in growth: Hospital spending millions to improve patient ...
The Morning Journal
The $22 million investment to create a new electronic health record network is to meet a goal of going paperless by 2012, Oley said. ...

and more »


Pope Urges Investing in Economy, Not 'Quick Return' Markets
BusinessWeek
... the individualistic and materialistic mentality” that seeks to detract capital “from the real economy” in favor of investing in financial markets. ...

and more »

Google News



MaineBannerExchange

home | site map
© 2006