Business Week's Guide to Mutual Funds

by Laderman, Jeffrey M.

• ISBN13: 9780071342612
• ISBN10: 0071342613
• Edition: 9th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-04-01
• Publisher: MCGRAW HILL BOOK COMPANY

Summary

The definitive guide to mutual funds--authoritative, independent, current, and investor-friendly--that's the Business Week Guide to Mutual Funds. Book jacket.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. vii
Mutual Funds: The People's Choice	p. 1
What's a Mutual Fund?	p. 4
First Encounters with a Mutual Fund	p. 5
The Joys of Compound Growth	p. 6
Be Realistic About Your Expectations	p. 8
The World of Mutual Funds	p. 11
Determining Style	p. 13
Equity Funds	p. 16
Large-Cap Value Funds	p. 16
Large-Cap Blend Funds	p. 18
Large-Cap Growth Funds	p. 20
Mid-Cap Value Funds	p. 22
Mid-Cap Blend Funds	p. 23
Mid-Cap Growth Funds	p. 24
Small-Cap Value Funds	p. 25
Small-Cap Blend Funds	p. 27
Small-Cap Growth Funds	p. 28
Hybrid Funds--Domestic and International	p. 30
International Funds	p. 32
Precious Metals Funds	p. 37
Specialty Funds	p. 39
Index and Social Investing Funds	p. 41
Bond Funds	p. 45
Long-Term Funds (Gen.)	p. 51
Intermediate-Term Funds (Gen.)	p. 52
Short-Term Funds (Gen.)	p. 53
Ultrashort Funds	p. 54
Long-Term Government Funds	p. 54
Intermediate-Term Government Funds	p. 56
Short-Term Government Funds	p. 59
High-Yield Funds	p. 60
Convertible Funds	p. 62
International and Emerging Markets Funds	p. 63
Multisector Funds	p. 65
Municipal Funds	p. 66
Money-Market Funds	p. 69
Taxable Funds	p. 69
Tax-Exempt Funds	p. 73
Closed-End Funds	p. 74
Buying and Selling: The Essentials	p. 81
What You Need to Know About Loads	p. 81
No-Load Funds	p. 82
Back-End Loads	p. 82
"Hidden Loads"	p. 83
To Load or Not to Load?	p. 85
Mutual Fund Networks	p. 87
Advisers and "Wraps"	p. 88
Buying on Margin	p. 90
Prospecting the Prospectus	p. 90
Statement of Additional Information	p. 91
Taking a Closer Look	p. 91
Investment Policy	p. 95
Shareholder Services	p. 95
Redemptions	p. 96
Building an Investment Portfolio	p. 97
Determining Your Financial Goals	p. 97
Do You Need Current Income from Your Investments?	p. 98
How Soon Will You Need the Proceeds of Your Investments?	p. 99
How Will Inflation Affect You?	p. 99
How Much Risk Are You Willing to Take?	p. 99
How Will Taxes Affect Your Investments?	p. 100
What Kind of Temperament Do You Have for Investing?	p. 101
Putting It All Together	p. 102
Your Asset Allocation Plan	p. 103
Achieving Your Financial Goals	p. 104
Savings for Retirement	p. 104
Look to Your Horizon	p. 105
Using the Scoreboard Ratings	p. 107
Load or No-Load?	p. 108
A Minimum Investment?	p. 108
Taxable or Tax-Deferred Account?	p. 108
Building and Rebuilding Fund Portfolios	p. 110
Head Start on a College Fund	p. 110
Funds for a 401(k)	p. 110
The Rollover IRA	p. 111
Equity Funds for Retirement	p. 112
Restructuring a Portfolio	p. 112
Making Your First Investment	p. 114
Dollar-Cost Averaging	p. 115
Switch Funds! The Timing Game	p. 117
Monitoring Your Mutual Funds	p. 121
Tracking Funds in the Financial Pages	p. 121
Interpreting the Fund Tables	p. 122
Keeping Score	p. 124
Let the Computer Do It	p. 125
Mutual Funds at Business Week Online	p. 126
Mutual Funds on the Web	p. 127
When Your Fund Is Ailing	p. 129
Keep in Touch with Your Fund	p. 131
When the Fund Manager Changes	p. 135
Mutual Fund Mergers	p. 137
Change Objectives, Change Funds	p. 138
Taxes and Record-Keeping	p. 139
Mutual Funds' Special Tax Status	p. 139
Ducking the Distribution	p. 141
Tax Swapping	p. 142
What's My "Cost Basis"?	p. 143
Tax-Deferred Investing	p. 145
IRAs	p. 145
Keogh Plans	p. 147
401(k) Plans	p. 147
Variable Annuities	p. 147
Using the BW Scoreboard	p. 151
Ratings	p. 151
Size	p. 153
Fees	p. 154
Total Return: Pretax and Aftertax	p. 156
History	p. 157
Portfolio Data	p. 158
Risk	p. 161
1999: Aiming for the Fifth Big Year	p. 165
Equity Funds	p. 167
New Faces Among the Top-Rated Funds	p. 171
Fidelity's Comeback, Janus' Home Runs	p. 172
Net Stock Mania and Mutual Funds	p. 173
Playing the Sectors	p. 174
International Sectors	p. 175
Bond Funds	p. 175
The Top-Rated Funds	p. 176
International Bonds--The Beautiful and the Ugly	p. 178
Coming Back to Muni Funds	p. 180
Closed-End Funds	p. 181
The BUSINESS WEEK Mutual Fund Scoreboard	p. 185
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