| |
| |
|
Stocks Mutual Funds Investing Information |
|
|
|
Mutual Funds are Dead
You may have wondered why your mutual funds have been going down for the past 2 years. The answer is very simple, but not one you will hear from Wall Street as they want you to send money. In order for stock mutual funds to go up you must have a bull market. Unfortunately, that bull ended 2 years ago and is probably not going to return for a long time. Yes, there will be short-term rallies that can last from weeks to months, but the downward spiral will continue. For the past 100 years the Price/Earnings ratio of the S&P500 index has a mean average of about 15. With the current P/E running about 41 the rubber band has been stretched too far and is now contracting toward a more realistic level. It will take a time, probably several years, for a true bottom to be reached. Mutual fund charters require the fund manager to be fully invested at all times. The fund may be required to be invested in tech stocks, pharmaceuticals, automotive, Asia or some other specific category. If that particular sector is weak and almost all stocks therein are headed down the fund manager has nothing to buy and is not allowed to sell to put the money in cash or bonds to protect the investors. Some are allowed to buy and sell what they wish; others must invest in stocks of a particular index such as the Dow Jones, S&P 500 or the Nasdaq. Most of the fund managers today are too young to have experienced a bear market and do not know how or what to do. The small investor today has been taught to believe that the stock market always goes up. From 1982 to 2000 it did, but that was the end. All the talking heads on radio and TV have been telling you to buy the breaks and that the market always comes back - except when it doesn't. Almost none of them has ever seen or even studied a major bear market. The last one was 1973-74 just about the time most of these guys were in grade school or high school. They haven't a clue and don't know when or how to sell. Today there are trillions of dollars in 401Ks, IRAs, pension plans, etc. run by professional fund managers, financial planners, bankers, etc. who have no idea how to protect their investors. More trillions are getting ready to go down the drain. Last year 90% of stock mutual funds lost money. The Grim Reaper is now the manager of your mutual fund. For the little guy, that's you, there is only one way to protect your money. If you are in one of those plans you can tell them you want to have your funds in a money market account. At least it won't go down. If there are any fixed income or bond funds available to your account that is another safe venue. Mutual funds are no longer a good long-term investment. The age of the stock mutual fund is over. Dead. Don't let your hard-earned money get away. Al Thomas' best selling book, "If It Doesn't Go Up, Don't Buy It!" has helped thousands of people make money and keep their profits with his simple 2-step method. Read the first chapter to receive his market letter for 3 months at www.mutualfundmagic.com to discover why he's the man that Wall Street does not want you to know. Comments to al@mutualfundmagic.com Copyright Albert W. Thomas All rights reserved.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Picking Mutual Funds to Outperform the Market With over 6,000 mutual funds available, it may be tempting to pick funds from a popular star or index rating system. Savvy investors, however, balance multiple factors in their selection process. 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). Analysts - Do They Really Know The Stock Market? When you become interested in a stock or mutual fund you can call your broker and he will send you reports on how the company is doing, what their management is like and what might be the projected earnings for the company and how the industry is doing. Great information. Laws and Efficiencies and Theories of Diminishing Returns The basis of diminishing return discussions surround such simple notions; that when you have a very fast aircraft, you also have coefficients of drag issues. When you are building a quarter mile car and want to go faster you must realize that for every tenth of a second you need to lose 100 lbs. Downdraft For the year 2000 we have seen hundreds of mutual funds lose 40%, 50% and more of their value. This does not seem right since the fund is supposed to be managed by a professional. Market Success Who are the successful investors?There are those who follow the advice of their brokers and financial planners or those who choose to use their own good judgment? If you care to compare the results of the past 4 years from 2000 to now I believe you will see who as done the best job.In the old days at the Chicago stock yards they used to have an old sheep who led the lambs to the slaughter when they arrived on the train. Prosperity It has fallen upon the consumer to make our economy strong. All the politicians, economists and talking heads on TV are telling him (that's you and me) to get out there and spend your money. Smart Day Trading Strategies to Help You Make Money in the Stock Market Stock trading can be a very profitable activity. You can make big amounts of cash in a short period of time. Economists In today's volatile and confusing stock markets everyone is searching for a guru who knows which way the market is going and when. Ask any economist and he will have an answer. Its Snowing The Winter Games for the Olympics are coming up soon and many will want to go to see the giant slalom event. That's the one where the skier starts off from the little hut at the top of a long slope, picks up speed and makes his way around poles on the way down. I Love To Lose Money Well, not really. What I mean is I don't mind losing a small amount when I have to sell a stock or mutual fund that is going down or taking away the profit I have made. No Load Mutual Funds or Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)? If you are fed up with early redemption charges and ever increasing mutual fund management fees on top of bad-performing fund managers, read on. There is a quiet revolution going on in the no-load mutual fund industry and you, the individual investor, may benefit from it greatly. The Importance of Using Stop Loss Orders When Spread Trading the Financial Markets A Guide to Using Stop Loss Orders Stop losses are market orders designed to allow you to limit your losses.When you place a stop loss you are instructing the spread betting company or stock broker to cut your position when it reaches a certain loss level (or in some cases, profit level - more later). 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. Play another Day Money management starts with protecting your capital, realizing profits and cutting losses. As I have stated in the past, without cash, you can't invest. Managing Investing and Stock Market Risks Reduce your investing and stock market risks by:Setting your sights on the long term, patiently riding with the ups and downs!If you have the time to be patient, you can benefit from time diversification. The more numerous good years for stocks outweigh the bad, pulling your return up. The Bottom? Every day I hear someone on CNBC proclaim that "this is the bottom" and you should get in there and buy all those "bargains". "The valuations of the DOW stocks are a steal. Parachute Investing Ever jumped out of an airplane? It's OK if you have on a parachute. Pretty dumb if you don't. Forces that Move Stock Prices Among the largest forces that affect stock prices are inflation, interest rates, bonds, commodities and currencies. At times the stock market suddenly reverses itself followed typically by published explanations phrased to suggest that the writer's keen observation allowed him to predict the market turn. Where Is The Rabbit? We need a rabbit!This was a pretty horrible week for the market with two 100-point days and Friday closing on the lows.During these past few days Sir Alan told us things are looking up and the economy is basically strong.
|
|
|
|
|
Home | Index | SiteMap | Click here for Indian Share Market Tips |
|