Mutual Funds
The Year Ahead at MattAboutMoney.com
Wednesday, December 29th, 2010
I’m excited about the start of a New Year, the opportunity to pursue some important new goals, and the opportunity to share ideas with you on how to live with the freedom and joy that come from getting the money thing right. As we reset the calendar, this seems like an appropriate time to explain ... [Read more]
9 Comments » The Case for Index Funds
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
A new study by professors at the University of Chicago and Dartmouth reinforces the wisdom of the small print in mutual fund advertisements: “Past performance does not guarantee future results.” The research found that “virtually all actively managed funds” fail to outperform the indexes against which they are compared, and that any success achieved by ... [Read more]
How Gender Impacts Investor Behavior
Monday, March 22nd, 2010
Who do you think tends to be better investors: men or women? The latest in a fairly large body of research on the topic sides with women. As reported by The New York Times, a Vanguard analysis of 2.7 million IRA investors found that women were less likely to sell their equity investments at last ... [Read more]
Recession Lessons: Diversification Still Works
Wednesday, February 24th, 2010
The Great Recession prompted many pundits to declare much of the conventional investment wisdom null and void. But not so fast. An analysis by brokerage house T. Rowe Price (see the article starting on page 15) makes a compelling case that a properly diversified portfolio, including stock market exposure, is still the best route to ... [Read more]
Money Market Funds Lose Insurance Protection
Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009
A temporary program insuring money market funds has expired. However, according to an article in on Kiplinger.com, there’s not much reason to worry about the safety of money invested in such funds. The insurance program was put in place last fall after the Reserve Primary Fund “broke the buck” – that is, the fund’s investment ... [Read more]
Putting Your Money Where Your Values Are
Wednesday, August 12th, 2009
Have you ever taken the time to see what companies your mutual funds are invested in? And do you know what businesses those companies are involved in? According to a U.S. News & World Report article, such concerns have fueled the rapid growth of socially responsible investing (SRI). Numerous SRI mutual funds are now available ... [Read more]
More Savings Now Insured
Wednesday, October 8th, 2008
Previously, I mentioned that the federal government is now insuring money saved in money market mutual funds. The move was made in response to a rare dip below a dollar for the value of shares in the Reserve Primary Fund. Two points of clarification are warranted. First, as reported by ABC News, the insurance only ... [Read more]
Money Market Funds Now (Temporarily) Insured
Wednesday, September 24th, 2008
Whereas money market accounts are a type of insured savings account offered by banks and credit unions, money market funds are mutual funds, which until last week were not insured against investment loss. Historically, money market funds have been widely viewed as extremely safe. However, within the mix of bad news last week came word ... [Read more]
Making Sure Your Money Is Safe
Wednesday, September 24th, 2008
The news of the past couple of weeks has been unsettling for many people, with Lehman Brothers filing for bankruptcy, Merrill Lynch being sold, and AIG getting a government bailout. Even if you don’t have money in these institutions it can make you wonder how safe your money is. In the midst of all the ... [Read more]
Too Few Playing the Savings Game
Wednesday, March 12th, 2008
Just 28 percent of all Americans say they save at least 10 percent of their income. That’s one of the findings from a new survey by the American Savings Education Council. What percentage of your monthly gross income do you save each month? For most people, 10 percent should be the absolute minimum. Do you ... [Read more]
