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Choosing A FundStock Market Definitions, Terms and Acronyms:
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
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RELATED ARTICLES How Much Information Do You Need? You have decided to buy some stock or mutual funds, but wonder which one to buy. You need more information so you call your broker for advice. Which Way The Market I am hearing predictions by brokers, financial planners, talk show hosts and the talking heads on TV that the market is going back to its old highs - DOW 11,700 and NASDAQ 5000 here we come.It seems to me that in 2000 I heard these same people saying there was no top to the market and were looking into their crystal balls for DOW 30,000 or some other fantastic number. How to Make Big Money Safely in Stock Market (1) Stock Market is Tough Place to Make Any Money ConsistentlyNASDAQ or SP&500 averaged about -6% per year for 5 years between 1999 and 2003. Many individual investors who made killing in the internet bubble period got wiped out during those 5 years. 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How To Beat The Mutual Fund Companies At Their Own Game You'd have had to be living on a desert island with no TV, newspaper or internet connection to have missed hearing about the great mutual fund scandal of 2003.The issue was that some mutual fund companies allowed certain hedge funds to engage in after-hours trading, sometimes incorrectly referred to as market timing. Race Horses and Mutual Funds For years investors have been taught to look into the composition of a mutual funds. In other words the "experts" want you to take the time to analyze the stocks within the mutual fund portfolio, categorize them by industry group and try to understand the objective of the fund manager. 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. Is Active Trading The Answer? One of the main reasons many of us get into investing is to become financially independent. Who isn't trying to amass a portfolio with enough income to ensure that we don't have to work when we should be playing golf or traveling the world. Shadow Bull As one of my regular readers you know I have been a stock market bear for the past 2 years and have encouraged everyone to put their money into a money market account or a short-term no-load bond fund and for the more adventurous what is called a bear mutual fund that goes up when the market goes down. Just being in cash as outlined in my book would have saved 40% or more of your money. Advantages and Disadvantages of Mutual Funds Outlined below are some of the advantages and disadvantages of mutual funds. Every investment has advantages and disadvantages. The Bottom? Every day I hear someone on CNBC proclaim that "this is the bottom" and you should get in there and buy all those "bargains". "The valuations of the DOW stocks are a steal. Investing in the Stock Market - When To! Is really not as important as to how you invest in the stock market. And how you invest in the stock market should take into consideration what goals you are setting for that stock market investment. Duck Duck! No I don't mean a quack, quack. I meant get down, look out for a huge blob of brown stuff is heading your way. Invest, Be Wrong, and Make Money in the Stock Market I have been trading for several decades and was an exchange member and floor trader for 17 years. You learn fast there or you go broke in a hurry. You Don't HAVE To Be Trading As a novice trader, you'll often feel the need to trade.You may be bored or frustrated.
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