Mutual Funds for Dummies

by Tyson, Eric

• ISBN13: 9781119215516
• ISBN10: 111921551X
• Edition: 7th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2016-04-25
• Publisher: For Dummies

Summary

Position your portfolio for growth with one of America's bestselling mutual fund books

Are you looking for a trusted resource to help you add mutual funds to your investment strategy? With straightforward advice and a plethora of specific, up-to-date mutual fund recommendations, personal finance expert Eric Tyson helps you avoid fund-investing pitfalls and maximize your chances of success.

Newly revised and updated, Mutual Funds For Dummies quickly and easily helps you pick the best funds, assemble and maintain your portfolio, and evaluate your funds' performance. In no time, it gets you up and running on exchange-traded funds, tax laws affecting investments in funds, how to evaluate different fund-investing strategies, and much more.

• Plan and implement a successful investment strategy that includes mutual funds
• Avoid fund-investing pitfalls
• Find the best-managed funds that match your financial goals
• Select among mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, and other investing options

Complemented with sample fund portfolios and updated forms that show you exactly how to accomplish your financial goals, this is your trusted resource for planning and implementing a successful investment strategy that includes mutual funds.

Author Biography

Eric Tyson is a nationally recognized personal finance counselor, writer, and lecturer. He has been featured on and quoted in local and national outlets, including Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, and others. He has appeared on NBC's Today Show, ABC, FOX NEWS CNBC, PBS Nightly Business Report, and CNN.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Part 1: Getting Started with Funds 7

CHAPTER 1: Making More Money, Taking Less Risk 9

CHAPTER 2: Fund Pros and Cons 23

CHAPTER 3: Funding Your Financial Plans 39

Part 2: Evaluating Alternatives to Funds 55

CHAPTER 4: Selecting Your Own Stocks and Bonds 57

CHAPTER 5: Exchange-Traded Funds and Other Fund Lookalikes 65

CHAPTER 6: Hedge Funds and Other Managed Alternatives 75

Part 3: Separating the Best from the Rest 85

CHAPTER 7: Finding the Best Funds 87

CHAPTER 8: Using Fund Publications 103

CHAPTER 9: Buying Funds from the Best Firms 127

Part 4: Crafting Your Fund Portfolio 145

CHAPTER 10: Perfecting a Fund Portfolio 147

CHAPTER 11: Money Market Funds: Beating the Bank 169

CHAPTER 12: Bond Funds: When Boring Is Best 189

CHAPTER 13: Stock Funds: Meeting Your Longer Term Needs 219

CHAPTER 14: Specialty Funds: One of a Kind 241

CHAPTER 15: Working It Out: Sample Portfolios 251

CHAPTER 16: Applications, Transfers, and Other Useful Forms 275

Part 5: Keeping Current and Informed 295

CHAPTER 17: Evaluating Your Funds and Adjusting Your Portfolio 297

CHAPTER 18: The Taxing Side of Mutual Funds 315

CHAPTER 19: Common Fund Problems and How to Fix Them 331

CHAPTER 20: Information Sources: Fund Ratings and Forecasters 341

Part 6: The Part of Tens 357

CHAPTER 21: Ten Common Fund-Investing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them 359

CHAPTER 22: Ten Fund-Investing Fears to Conquer 365

CHAPTER 23: Ten Tips for Hiring a Financial Adviser 371

Appendix: Recommended Fund Companies and Discount Brokers 381

Index 383