I have always discouraged individual investors from spending any of their time on short-term market commentary and investment news. In today’s environment, that is particularly important. Why? Among other phenomenon, the financial news media’s obsession with the Federal Reserve’s position on raising interest rates has become a complete waste of time. Yes, rates will go […]
Some Long-Term Thoughts for Long-term Investors Read More »
Simply stated, both of these seemingly disparate items appear to go on forever, i.e., they are endless. In the case of infinity pools, this attractive architectural amenity is a real plus, particularly for high-end residential real estate properties. However, when it comes to diversifying a mutual fund portfolio, it appears that the financial press, some
What Does Investment Diversification Have In Common With An Infinity Pool? Read More »
Recently, I was asked by a beginning fund investor to explain why Morningstar has two “ratings” on mutual funds, and which one should she use. She made reference to an article [“Flummoxed by Our Ratings? Here’s What You Need to Know,”] on Morningstar’s website written by Russell Kinnel, director of manager research for Morningstar. The
Making a Clear Distinction Between Morningstar’s Dual Fund Rating Systems Read More »
If you go to Morningstar.com and type in PXWEX in the Quote box, you’ll get its take, albeit a limited one, on Pax Ellevate Global Women’s Index Fund [hereafter referred to as PXWEX or Fund], which should be, for obvious reasons, of interest to the membership of WIFE. This fund made the news in June
A Mutual Fund All About Women Read More »
Tim Buckley succeeded Gus Sauter as Vanguard’s chief investment officer over a year ago. Among various topics touched on during an introductory interview, the comments of Mr. Buckley on the challenges facing bond investors back then are worth repeating now: “Bonds … are an area of concern for us [Vanguard]. … At the same time,
Some Factual Perspective for Bond Fund Investors Read More »
It has been my experience with many attendees at my investment education lectures that they do not have a clear understanding of two basic mutual fund concepts – net asset value (NAV) and total return (TR). While related, these two features of fund investing have two distinct functions – the former relates to the pricing
Net Asset Value & Total Return – Clarifying Two Key Mutual Fund Data Points Read More »
Readers in the so-called “senior” category will remember Perry Como as one of America’s favorite pop vocalists and television performers, with a career that stretched from the 1940s to the late 1980s. If you’re a youngster, ask your parents and they’ll confirm my story. In 1952, Como’s song “Don’t Let the Stars Get in Your
Morningstar’s Stars – Perry Como Got It Right Read More »
Background Several years ago, Morningstar’s Don Phillips invented what is called a style box, now widely used by the investment community to categorize mutual funds according to investment characteristics of their portfolios. Fund categorization allows investors to diversify the asset-allocation of their portfolios by choosing a selection of funds according to varying degrees of risk
What Should Fund Investors Do With Style Boxes? Use Them! Read More »
Albert Einstein – “Not Everything That Counts Can Be Counted” If you have money in, or are just thinking about, emerging market mutual funds, I would strongly suggest that you incorporate the message found in the Einstein quote in your thought process. The investment community’s assessment of emerging markets seems to focus its evaluations on
Sizing Up Your Investment Risk Read More »
Fund investors have dozens of tools to choose from to help them make smart mutual fund investment choices. Fund databases, websites, calculators, screening software, newsletters, videos, publications, message boards, and financial media are readily available. For many individuals, the investing process is a bit of a mystery, and they are intimidated by a perceived information-overload.
Common Sense: You Can’t See It or Touch It, But It’s a Great Investing Tool Read More »
For several years now, the Kiplinger Personal Finance magazine has put together a selection of mutual fund recommendations it calls the “Kiplinger 25.” This is a portfolio of 25 no-load funds, in five different categories, that it considers to be of top quality. This portfolio, which also appears on the Kiplinger.com website, is fairly static,
Should Kiplinger’s “Favorite Funds” Be Your Choices? Read More »
New York-based investment manager, BlackRock Investments, LLC, started running a full- and half-page color ads in the Wall Street Journal. The attention-grabbing ad headline, in large bold letters, that “Traditional Bond Funds You Once Considered Safe Investments May Not Be So Safe Anymore” must have been a bit unnerving to some bond investors. The advertisements’
BlackRock’s Misguided Guidance – The Devil Is in the Details Read More »
