Choosing A Fund
For years I have been saying you must have a fund that is outperforming the S&P500 Index. Well, I've changed my mind. Now I think your fund should be outperforming the NASDAQ Composite Index. So far this year, March 30, the S&P is up 1.3% and the NASDAQ Composite is up 9.5 %.
Have you checked your mutual funds for their performance so far this year? I don't know how important your money is to you, but it is important enough for me to check out my funds at the end of each month. I live off that income. Some day you may be doing the same so now is the time to start tracking those returns.
For almost the last 20 years I have bought nothing but no-load mutual funds. There is absolutely no correlation that a fund performs better if you pay commissions. The only one who profits here is the broker, not you. In fact with an 8 1/2% front-end load you actually start 9 1/4% in the hole. Many no-load funds can be purchased at discount brokers for no commission at all. The call these NTF funds - No Transaction Fees. This is a great bargain that every investor should take advantage of.
One of the things I have been preaching for years and I have not changed my mind about this is the funds you own should be the best performers available. My definition of best performer is that you should only buy a no-load fund that has the greatest increase in NAV (Net Asset Value) for the past 6 or 12 months. Your broker is definitely not going to tell you about these. You can find them yourself .
Look in Mutual Fund Section of Investor's Business Daily newspaper. Usually about once a week they publish a list of 25 mutual funds with their performance record for the past 6 or 12 months. If you are going use this indicator then buy the top one, two or three and only check them out once each month to see that they remain on the list. If your fund drops below 15th or 20th or completely out of the list you will then sell it and buy the fund that is at the top.
If you have a computer you may check out www.smartmoney.com as they list the top 25 performing funds. I would not buy one unless it has been on the market for at least a year. You may use the same sell strategy as the IBD above.
In real estate the smart strategy is to buy right. In the stock market the smart strategy is to sell right. If you follow this plan during a bull market you will make 2 or 3 times the increase of the S&P or NASDAQ Composite.
If you are willing to look at your mutual funds once each month for about 10 minutes you will be able to outperform 99% of the returns of financial planners, brokers or bankers. Is it worth it to choose your own funds? You have to answer that.
Al Thomas' book, "If It Doesn't Go Up, Don't Buy It!" has helped thousands of people make money and keep their profits with his simple 2-step method. Read the first chapter at http://www.mutualfundmagic.com and discover why he's the man that Wall Street does not want you to know.
Copyright 2005
More Resources
Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exitingMore Stocks & Mutual Funds Information:
Related Articles
Basics of Stock Market
Financial markets provide their participants with the most
favorable conditions for purchase/sale of financial
instruments they have inside. Their major functions are:
guaranteeing liquidity, forming assets prices within
establishing proposition and demand and decreasing of
operational expenses, incurred by the participants of
the market.
How (NOT) to Buy Mutual Funds
When it comes to mutual funds, there is a lot more to success than just finding a good one. Sad investment stories like the following are all too common.
Paddle Your Canoe
At some time in your life you have been on a river in a canoe and hopefully you had a paddle. You know about being up the creek without one.
Inertia Syndrome
When it comes to buying a stock or mutual fund most people act pretty quickly. There are some who will take the time to get a report from Morningstar (it is worthless) or get reports from their broker (also worthless) or even do a search on the Internet (if you know what you are doing).
Political Investing
We have two candidates for president that have really different ideas on how to make the economy grow.Bush believes in the entrepreneurial approach.
When?
When will the stock market stop going down and start up again? If we knew that we'd all be jillionaires. So what do you do now while stocks are going down and stealing away your money every day?What does history tell us? Here is one very interesting fact.
Leverage - Margin Debt
What is leverage?Here is a definition of leverage from an online dictionary "leverage - The use of credit or borrowed funds to improve one's speculative capacity and increase the rate of return from an investment, as in buying securities on margin."Essentially, the core idea of leverage is that investors can use less money to control bigger amount of investment so that investors can make more money when the price movement is in investors' favor.
Wal-Mart: Discount Store, Discounted Stock?
As GuruFocus updates the stock buys and sells of gurus, Wal-Mart (WMT), the discount retail giant, stands out as the stock with a high ValueRank (7 out of 10). Just recently, Clipper Fund's James Gipson and T.
E-mini Day Trading - Day Trading for Beginners - Stock Market Timing Software
I mean it when I say that. While plastic silverware is fine for picnics and parties, it is totally inappropriate in a surgeon's hand with an open brain in front of him.
How To Pick A Mutual Fund
Mutual funds by definition are a mixed bag of stocks, bonds and a little cash. Their price per share is the NAV, Net Asset Value of the total amount of money in the mutual fund divided by the number of shares.
Adding Funds
Someday you may want to retire and continue to live in the life style to which you have become accustomed. According to conventional wisdom you will need less money because you will have fewer expenses than when you had to go to the office every day.
A Penny for Your Stocks
According to Investopedia Inc. the penny stock market has seen phenomenal growth this past decade.
A Stock Market Investment Strategy
I feel that an investment strategy in the stock market can instill in the individual investor not only an assured confidence in all future stock market investments, but also an almost Zen-like sense of peace and well being. A stock market investment strategy spelled out, proven, and instilling within the investor the power to succeed in the stock market with an assured confidence.
Stock Trading Secrets?
How often have you come across an advertisement or e-mail proclaiming to "teach" you the stock trading secrets that Wall Street Insiders don't want you to know? Usually included in the descriptions of these trading products are claims such as "Make 10K monthly in minutes per day", or "Learn the secrets of Professional Stock Brokers", etc. etc.
Stocks Options Trading
Let's assume that you want to make some serious money and you have chosen to take things into your own hands rather than depend upon a "professional trader" to make your trading decisions. This is usually only recomended if you can afford to lose the money that you are trading with, and you appreciate the fact that there is much more upside potential with this added risk.
Stock Trading Diversification
This is the continuing story of our two imaginary traders, Peter and Paul.Peter is a professional trader, Paul is not.
Investing in Stocks and The Game of Monopoly
To begin, you might look at playing the stock market as though you were playing a game of Monopoly. That's right; for playing the stock market 'game' is not unlike playing a game of Monopoly.
Price Targets
Every day in any financial publication you will find the Wall Street mavens giving their predictions on many stocks. It was issued here and should go there.
Stock Loans
Hedge current portfolio positions and gain access to capital resources through loans against free trading, aged affiliate or aged non-affiliate securities. Make proper use of your assets while waiting for performance and hedge your position should the asset move against you.
Trading vs Investing
I often hear from people, "I don't trade. I invest.