The Top 10 Reasons to Invest in Mutual Funds
Everyone who follows the financial news has heard of mutual funds and knows the stock market has generally risen (with various ups-and-downs) for over 200 years. In fact, by most measures, the stock market has made more money for more people, and done it more reliably, than any other investment over the past 100 years! If you want to accumulate substantial wealth, you must include stocks in your investments!
But, most people who "invest" don't study the market. They don't understand it, and they don't have time to manage their portfolio wisely. That's where mutual funds come in. I respect that other people have other opinions, and certainly not all mutual funds are well managed - you MUST choose wisely and use appropriate caution! But, for most folks, a good, solid, boring mutual fund is the golden path to riches.
Here are my Top 10 reasons to us mutual funds:
1. Selection. You can select from thousands of funds (you'll find one to suit your needs) and you can get information on them easily. Magazines like "Money" are easy to find. Most credit unions have information, and your local library is a goldmine - and there's the Internet.
2. You Can Start Small. Most mutual funds will let you start with less than $1000, and if you set it up for automatic deposits, some will let you start with only $50. I've spent more than that in a restaurant! There is NO reason not to consider this!
3. Simplicity. You deposit 10% of your income every month. Just pay yourself first, then pay the mortgage, then pay everyone else.
4. Professional management. I don't always have time to research, select, and monitor individual stocks. So, I pay a professional a small fee to do it for me. A good fund manager will make you rich!
5. Compound interest. Depending on what index you pick, the U.S. stock market has gone up an average of over 12% per year for the past 10 years, and it's been almost that high for the past 20 years. The market fluxuates, but the beauty of this is, you don't care! Over 10, 20, or 30 years, the system works every time!
6. Dollar-cost-averaging. The details are complicated, but by investing every single month, whether the market is up or down, you get a tremendous boost from the mathematics. Your "average cost" will always be less than the "average price" you paid! And that is money in your pocket!
7. Diversification. A broad-based growth fund typically invests in dozens of companies in different industries, sometimes even in different countries around the world. If one stock goes down, hopefully dozens of others will go up. There is excellent protection and sound risk management built-in to these funds.
8. Specialization. If you prefer, and if you do the research, there are funds that invest in only a very small number of companies. If you can accept the additional risk, you can invest in one particular industry, or one country, or in companies of a certain size or that are environmentally responsible. This specialization offers the potential for even greater profits, but it can also bring greater potential risk. Study before you invest!
9. Fund "Families". Most mutual funds are offered by management companies that sponsor several different funds, with different objectives. They make it easy to move your money between funds, so as your goals change, you can adjust your investements with a quick phone call, or on the Internet.
10. Momentum. Once you get started, your enthusiam builds. Once you have money "in the market", you'll track it, manage it, and in all probability, your desire to save will increase. If you've had difficulty saving in the past?START! Those monthly statements will be positive reminders to do even more. Yes, you should invest in tax-sheltered retirement plans first, and yes, there are other investment possibilities. And yes, there is some risk, because the market can go down. But to retire wealthy, pick a great, long-term growth fund, invest regularly, and let the system work for you! The key, as always is: GET STARTED!
Here's to your success!
© Copyright 2003 by Philip E. Humbert. All Rights Reserved. This article may be copied and used in your own newsletter or on your website as long as you include the following information: "Written by Dr. Philip E. Humbert, writer, speaker and success coach. Dr. Humbert has over 300 free articles, tools and resources for your success, including a great newsletter! It's all on his website at: http://www.philiphumbert.com
More Resources
Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exitingMore Stocks & Mutual Funds Information:
Related Articles
The I Word is Coming to a Town Near You
Hello Inflation, it has been awhile, I see you on your way back again. Inflation? What inflation? Oh things like; Energy, diesel fuel, Aviation Fuel, Gasoline, Natural Gas, Milk, Wheat, Corn, Beef, Poultry, Hogs, Soy Beans, Building materials, paper, housing, Auto Prices, Health Care, Insurance, etc.
Stock Analysis
I receive emails from Morningstar. This company provides statistics and analysis of just about every publicly traded stock company you can think of as well as voluminous information on mutual funds around the world.
Being Wrong Buying Stock is Okay
Being wrong is OK, but let's not carry it to extremes. That applies to everything, but let's limit our discussion here to the stock market.
Discover the Retirement Breakthrough the Federal Government Created for You - The Roth IRA!
If you don't know what a Roth IRA is then stop everything, print this article and read it carefully as this will certainly be the most valuable information you read this year. This next retirement account is to your net worth what light bulb was to electricity.
The Value of Stocks of a Company
The debate rages all over Eastern and Central Europe, in countries in transition as well as in Western Europe. It raged in Britain during the 80s: Is privatization really the robbery in disguise of state assets by a select few, cronies of the political regime? Margaret Thatcher was accuse of it - and so was the Agency of Transformation in the Republic of Macedonia.
Defining a Long-Term Investment in the Stock Market
For some "long term" would mean holding a stock position over the weekend. For others, it may mean holding a security for at least 1 year for the purpose of declaring a long-term capital gain, thus saving on taxes.
Trading Tips No 6: The High Cost of Low Cost Stock Market Information
It has been said that low cost or even free stock market information or trading advice can be the most expensive advice you can get. The meaning is clear.
Exchange Traded Funds Primer
Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are a group of passive index funds that trade on an exchange like an individual stock. At the time of writing there are 162 ETFs with $220 billion in assets under management trading on U.
Stock Market Investing Odds
The greatest stock market myth is the idea that investing in stocks is a form of gambling!The financial markets are often compared to a casino. Put some money on X stock and you might as well be playing craps!If that's your impression, and it's keeping you out of the markets, consider this: If investing is organized gambling, it's one of the rare kinds where the odds are stacked in your favor!Why is that?Corporate profits are the key to understanding the investor's edge.
Low Expense Ratio
One of the big advertising kicks today from mutual funds is to tell how low their expense ratio is and that you will make a great deal more money if you buy and hold with them. Partly true, but that is not the whole story.
Moving Averages
Every day on CNBC-TV they show a 200-day moving average line superimposed on the stock price history. It seems they give great credence to this manufactured line as it represents 10 months of price action.
Swing Trading Strategies
Using Swing Trading Strategies and Technical Analysis when Trading Stocks to Make Consistent Trading Profits.This article is one small part of a series of lessons using Swing Trading Strategies and Technical Analysis developed by WD Gann which are designed to show how anyone can build a profitable Stock or Commodity trading business from scratch.
How Much Money Can I Make With Trading? What Account Size Do I Need To Start?
What account size do I need?How much money can I make with trading?First of all, let's clarify a common misunderstanding: You never risk your full account size. You always have a "catastrophic stop", and it is important to define the "ruin" before you start trading.
It Cant Be Done
Wouldn't it be nice if you were only in the stock market when it was going up and have everything transferred to cash while it is going down? It is called 'market timing' and your broker or financial planner will tell you "it can't be done". What that person just told you is he doesn't know how to do it.
Dont Lose All Your Money
That sounds like good advice doesn't it? Don't lose all your money.After all what is an investor without funds in the brokerage account? Hint: BROKE!On the subject of investing, this means getting out of a trade when it goes against you.
The Stock Market Investor's Worst Enemy
Every stock market investor faces one primal enemy. An enemy so perverse, it will drive thousands of investors from the stock market through its ability to defeat even the most practiced investment strategy.
Selection Vs Direction
As I have said many times before in this column it really doesn't make any difference what you buy - stocks, funds or indexes - it takes smarts to know when to sell. Direction of the general market is more important than selection of any equity.
Pension Plans
If you have a pension plan at work you will want to read this and if you don't you will still want to because it affects your retirement account.There are two kinds of formal retirement plans that are set in place by employers.
Trading Systems
To become a successful trader you must have some kind of method or system to follow that will keep you on track. You may be buying and selling on tips, the weather or phases of the moon (there is a system like that).
Trade Stocks for Real
I read a comment by a forum member on another site earlier today that suggested that every investor should back test their system for at least twenty years. I disagree and will now tell you why.