Let's go into the details of why non-indexed mutual funds are such a bad deal. When Arthur Levitt became the head of the Security Exchange Commission in 1993 he had to sell off all of his individual stocks so that people would not claim that he was doing any dirty inside dealing. He decided to put the cash from selling off his stock portfolio into mutual funds.
Mr. Levitt grew very angry when he tried to decipher how particular mutual funds divvied up their cash into specific stocks. He couldn't make heads or tells from the fancy brochures of the mutual funds called prospectuses. He had been a major player in the stock brokerages for over 25 years at that point and knew that if he couldn't understand the mutual fund's prospectus then he knew public investors couldn't either; it had to be a big scam to suck money out of the public.
In 1980 the US public invested $100 billion into the 500 mutual funds that existed at that time. By 1993 the public put $1.6 trillion into the more than 3,800 mutual funds that existed in that year; talk about growth! By the end of February 2003, at the bottom of the bear market there were 8,200 mutual funds and the public had pumped in $6.3 trillion dollars. Wow! That is a lot of money. What is important to note is that at least 40% of mutual fund money comes in from 401(k) retirement accounts. Today these mutual funds own about 20% of all publicly traded shares of stock. Mutual funds act like a herd of cows buying and selling the same stocks at the same time. This increases the wild price volatility swings in the stock market.
These funds are also sold and managed on pure hype, short term trading, and with key information withheld from the public. All of these factors I teach finance students and investors to avoid! The industry confuses investors by focusing on past performance, which should not be a factor to consider. Many mutual funds are able to cheat the public with excessive fees because investors don't understand how these big costs destroy their profit. Mutual funds have no interest in educating investors because it is easier to hoodwink the ignorant!
Don't put your trust in mutual funds unless they are fully indexed. Indexing means that the mutual fund simply uses a computer to buy and sell stocks in the mutual fund portfolio so as to mimic the composition of a major stock market index like the S&P 500. This means that there is no fund manager sucking out needless fees. A good example is the first fully indexed mutual fund called the Vanguard 500 (VFINX) which is also now the largest of its kind.
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.bonanzabase.com
Tinley Park executive chauffeured services .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareIt looks like the market is ready to start up... Read More
All of the talking heads have been telling us that... Read More
Every day in any financial publication you will find the... Read More
Using Swing Trading Strategies and Technical Analysis when Trading Stocks... Read More
When we go to the circus we see a trapeze... Read More
When will the stock market stop going down and start... Read More
Every Wall Street analyst, financial planner and broker will tell... Read More
When an individual investor wants to roll up his sleeves... Read More
Are you attracted to the idea of being in control... Read More
A Guide to Using Stop Loss Orders Stop losses are... Read More
As an investor you will want to check out any... Read More
The ABC's of Stock Trading SuccessStock trading success...why is it... Read More
Let's hope you did not have any of the Enron... Read More
People are constantly asking me why is the stock market... Read More
Options trading can increase the profits you make when trading... Read More
So you're started trading, you bought some positions with your... Read More
One of the main reasons many of us get into... Read More
If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck... Read More
Did you know you can make money (and a lot... Read More
Having lived aboard a sailboat for 2 years I was... Read More
Question: How does it get better when it gets worse?Last... Read More
Has your broker been calling you recently with the "great... Read More
How many people went to a cash position this week?... Read More
Reach in your pocket and take out that big roll... Read More
In one of my previous articles (Investing in the stock... Read More
limo Chicago Hickory Hills ..Are you attracted to the idea of being in control... Read More
It seems that every day I turn on the TV... Read More
A 'stock option' is a contract between two parties giving... Read More
When is a dividend not a dividend?The latest thing "conservative"... Read More
If you have a pension plan at work you will... Read More
I am taking the time to help others learn the... Read More
It is commonly reported that the stock market averages about... Read More
When you become interested in a stock or mutual fund... Read More
Money: the most charged word in the planet. It means... Read More
Just about now everyone is confused as to which way... Read More
Very few people, even professionals, have heard of the Dalbar... Read More
There are so many kinds of work that needs to... Read More
There is nothing more exciting than finding an undervalued stock... Read More
Every year I go to the Money Show in Orlando,... Read More
Today we are inundated with tons of information about the... Read More
Duck! No I don't mean a quack, quack. I meant... Read More
We keep hearing about this bear market and that the... Read More
Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are growing. Investors are choosing low... Read More
When an individual investor wants to roll up his sleeves... Read More
When it comes to buying a stock or mutual fund... Read More
The spring-loaded rat catcher is the ultimate low-tech device invented... Read More
Every publicly traded company is required by the SEC(Securities and... Read More
It has fallen upon the consumer to make our economy... Read More
You should ignore analysts on TV, the radio, the newspaper... Read More
Invest in the stock market for the RIGHT reason, using... Read More
Stocks & Mutual Fund |