Welcome to the home of Index Equity Funds
Financial advice from Warren Buffet on The Today Show June 2010: Take $1,000, "buy an Index Equity Fund and hold it for 20-years" You can play the index equity fund part of the Warren Buffet Today Show interview which video is located on our web-page...
How to Diversify your Financial Portfolio
I'm sure you've heard how important it is to keep a diverse financial portfolio. There are many reasons for this not the least of which is spreading out the risks as well as the rewards so that one bad day on the market doesn't do in your entire financial future. Many people have learned along the way that the price to be paid for failing to diversify can be very high indeed. If you aren't prepared to pay that price then the solution is probably much simpler than you may realize.
The first thing you need to realize is that there is no perfect solution that is always guaranteed to be a safe investment (there is no such thing as a risk free investment only those that carry less risk than others). With this in mind you can minimize the risks by spreading them out between several different stocks, bonds, and funds.
It is important to seek the services of a personal financial advisor if you can afford to do so, which we recommend. In all honesty you really can't afford to rest your financial future in the hands of an amateur who knows very little if anything about the way the stock market works and how best to structure your portfolio. If for what ever reason you choose to go it alone there are many options available to have a truly diverse portfolio.
The first thing you want to do is divide your holdings between several sectors. This means that when one sector performs poorly you still have the hope that the other sectors won't share the same fate. During the dot com bust a few years back and the sub prime real estate bust more recently many people learned the hardships caused by having too much invested in one particular industry. Had they spread their investments around in a more diverse way many people would not have been hit nearly as hard as they were.
Once you've done that you will want to purchase a few stocks, some conservative mutual funds (these are much lower risk mutual funds designed to steadily but slowly build value over time), and also deposit funds on a regular basis into a conservative money market account to balance things out. There are all kinds of formulas as to how to do this for maximum effect but the truth of the matter is that you can't really determine the best route for you to take without knowing a little more about your current situation and your goals and plans. This is why a financial advisor is so important. Different concentrations of stocks, bonds, and funds are preferable at different stages in your life and according to the amount of money you currently have set aside.
With diversification you can avoid having too great of a concentration in one stock, one sector and one investment type, whenever possible. You never want to rest your entire financial future in one stock, bond, or one fund because that really is an all or nothing risk and rarely turns out good. If you get nothing else from a financial planner you really should consult with one about how to best diversify your investment portfolio. He or she can help you get started along the path to financially planning a brighter future than you may have ever imagined for your family.
How to Invest in Mutual Funds
If you are considering investing in the stock market in one way, shape, form, or fashion you've probably heard the term "mutual fund." If you are like I was, you probably have no real clue as to what the term actually means in terms of financial benefits or even exactly what a mutual fund is. Hopefully, reading this will clear up a few of the details for you so that you can move on to make informed decisions about where and how to invest your money.
I should begin by pointing out that there really is no method for investing that is completely without risk. That being said, mutual funds have lower risks that many other investment options, which makes them an attractive purchase for those that are unsure about investing. In fact, for the purpose of savings, mutual funds often have much better rates of return than the average savings account at your local bank and the risks are minimal in this type of investment, particularly compared to other riskier ventures.
So back to basics, mutual funds are, simply put, a collection of stocks and bonds that are owned by a group of people rather than one individual investor. This accomplishes a few things. First of all, it allows investors to buy in with considerably less money than it would take to purchase the same 'portfolio' on their own and it spreads the damage out among a group of people should something go wrong. In addition, because it isn't one single stock or bond or generally even one sector of the stock market, the risks for a complete and total loss are reduced to some degree. Keep in mind however that the market does simply have bad days on occasion and there is little that can be done about that short of stuffing your money under your mattress and it certainly won't grow there.
There are plenty of advantages and disadvantages in regards to purchasing mutual funds. You won't find the flashy swings, dips, dives, and other grand maneuvers in the typical mutual funds. Most mutual funds are selected because of their stability not for in hopes of massive profits though some mutual funds are, admittedly, more aggressive than others. It really depends on how much of a gambler you are by nature and how much of your investment and retirement you are willing to risk whether or not you will be satisfied with mutual funds as part or all of your investment portfolio.
Diversification is one of the key ingredients of a healthy portfolio and mutual funds will help you work the diversity you need into your portfolio in short order. If you are young and just beginning your career and in no real hurry for retirement this is one of the safest ways to invest your money for the long haul. Unfortunately it may lead to a comfortable retirement but is unlikely to lead to a flashy retirement, as most mutual funds do not have the high payoffs that many investors seek.
There are essentially three types of mutual funds with a few variations on each. First there are money market funds. These funds are great for the long-term investor who has a slow and steady approach to investing and will generally be better than leaving your money in a savings account collecting interest but there are better earning funds to be found. Second are the equity funds. These funds provide slow growth over time as well as some income along the way. Finally there are fixed income annuity funds and other fixed income funds.
The purpose of these funds is to provide a current income over time. These are not funds that are anticipated to increase in value only to maintain a certain standard of living. This is great for those who have retired or investors that are extremely conservative in nature. Hopefully this finds you knowing a little more about mutual funds in general and preparing to learn even more about how to take control of your investment options and make these key decisions for your future and that of your family.
Why are Mutual Funds Popular?
Mutual funds are probably one of the most popular choices in investing today. If you are wondering why they are so popular there are as many reasons as there are investors. Some of the biggest reasons will be discussed here.
First of all, mutual funds are inexpensive when compared to some stocks and do not carry the hefty commissions that go along with trading through the stock market in many cases. The relative inexpensiveness of mutual funds when compared to other stock purchases make them extremely popular among those who have little money to invest but want to be setting money aside for future needs and their golden years. It's also a way in which investors may begin to set small sums, as little as $100 a month aside to purchase these funds and not have all the money eaten up in transaction fees and commissions.
Second, mutual funds are a little easier to come by than most stocks. Many people purchase mutual funds through local bank and company 401k plans whereas stock purchases require a brokerage service of some sort in order to pull them off along with the brokerage fees that cut into the money invested as well as the money earned when the stocks or funds in this case are sold.
Third, mutual funds allow investors to build up a slow and steady income for their retirement years. While there are plenty of investment options offering more immediate and more lucrative returns mutual funds are the ones that can be relied upon for the long stretch and that is what matters to many that are entering the phase of retirement savings in which risks aren't necessarily highly advisable because they need to capitalize on what is currently in their funds without the risk of losing that money.
Another reason that mutual funds are so popular is because they are effective. Mutual funds pool the resources of many in order to maximize the earning potential of funds that are diverse enough to minimize risks while aggressive enough to bring in a few profits along the way. The risks are further hampered by the fact that so many people are absorbing little nicks of the cut along the way. What would have been catastrophic if you had your entire investment or even a large portion of your investment tied up in one stock is a nickel hit because other stocks and bonds in the bouquet as well as the large number of people sharing the hit have softened the blow.
Finally, mutual funds are popular because people see them as profitable. Even if the profits are a long way down the road, the promise of profits tomorrow is enough for many to make the investment today. If you haven't considered the value of adding mutual funds to your portfolio now is the perfect time to do just that. Mutual funds are a great way to bring stability to a volatile market. They provide shelter for many stock investors from the cares and worries of losses and hard hits along the way. A mutual fund is a great addition to any portfolio that needs a little bit of stability. They are also excellent tools for funding retirement goals and long-term plans such as retirement homes or vacation houses.
Stocks vs Mutual Funds
While some may find that idea of comparing stocks to mutual funds a little bit odd, since mutual funds are often made up of stocks, bonds, or some combination of the two, it is quite necessary to compare the two when it comes to deciding what is best for your financial outlook. Some of the more notable differences will be discussed below in order to help you decide which investment type is more suitable for your financial situation.
When it comes to investing for the everyday man or woman you really can't beat mutual funds. Stocks may have high fees for buying, selling, and transferring that significantly hinder any profits that would otherwise be made from the transaction. In fact, these fees often serve to deter the trading of stocks rather than encouraging it. Some big trading companies offer nice discounts for their big spenders making stock market trading seem even more exclusive by making it easier for those who already have a great deal invested than they make it for the new guy trying to make his way on the market. Mutual funds are much more accessible to those who don't have massive fortunes available to invest and need to make small steps (such as $100 a month) towards their financial and investment goals.
Mutual funds typically carry less risk than the average stock purchase as well. This happens for many reasons. First of all mutual funds are not generally invested in one sector, industry, or company. For this reason if one of the stocks fails, the proceeds from the other stocks and bonds purchased will help mitigate the loss, making it less noticeable. At the same time, the loss is shared by a large group of people so that even if a slight overall loss is experienced as the result it will be much less noticeable than if the stock purchased was yours and your alone. Finally, the fact that the funds are already diversified to a large degree helps insulate from huge fluctuations in the market such as those seen recently when the sub prime mortgage industry bubble popped leaving many investors ducking for cover.
Share the wealth. Share the risk. Mutual funds offer a sense of community, commonality, and shared risk among those who buy into a specific mutual fund. This is a good thing most of the time as it enables a large group of people to share a much smaller portion of risk than if they were buying stocks of their own volition. The existence of a fund manager means that there is someone "in the know" who is looking after the profit of the fund and that has the success of the fund at heart. This is something that you won't find when investing in stocks. In fact, when it comes to the stock market the only people that really care about how your stocks are performing are those that you pay to care for these things such as your financial advisor, accountant or stock-broker.
Another thing to consider about mutual funds is that they are much easier to use and/or trade vs stocks. They are much less expensive to trade as well. You can purchase mutual funds from your local bank, online, and through many online trading companies as well as through many company 401k plans. In other words mutual funds go out of their way to make themselves accessible. The most important thing, really, when it comes to buying mutual funds is that you devote some time to studying the history and performance of the fund you are considering to purchase as well as the fund manager for peace of mind.
As you can see there are a lot of differences between stocks and mutual funds. For small investors mutual funds are often the best route to take. They pose less risk, impose fewer fees, and place owners in a position to accrue steady, if slow, returns on their investments.
