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Mutual funds offer many advantages to the individual
investor. These advantages include:
1. Diversification 5. Dollar-cost-averaging
2. Professional Management 6. Liquidity
3. Low Cost 7. Family of Funds
4. Ease of Recordkeeping 8. Convenience
====================
1. Diversification:
"Don't put all your eggs in one basket." We have all heard
these words many times. In investing this is certainly
true. If you invest your nest egg in the stock of a single
company and something unforeseen happens, i.e., the company
goes bankrupt, new technology makes the companys' product
obsolete, ect., you could wipe out your entire investment.
A major attraction to mutual funds is the diversification
they offer investors. A typical fund will have dozens, or
more likely, hundreds of different securities in their
portfolio. A poor performance by one of the companies in
the portfolio will have much less of an effect on the total
return and safety of your principal. Every dollar you have
invested in a mutual fund has this diversification.
2. Professional Management:
Professional management is another key attraction to mutual
funds. The average investor just does not have the time or
experience needed to make informed and profitable decisions.
Fund managers perform extensive economic and financial
research. They may visit hundreds of companies and talk
with thousands of top business executives in a years time.
They study balance sheets, trade publications, research
reports, marketing reports and a myriad of other financial
data. When you buy shares in a mutual fund you are getting
this professional management for a relatively very low fee.
The typical management fee of a mutual fund is 1/2 of 1% of
that funds assets on a yearly basis. On a $5,000
investment, this is a yearly fee of $25.00. Professional
money management has always been available to institutions
and wealthy individuals. Now it is available to everyone
through mutual funds.
3. Low Cost
Even if you had the time, the experience, and the knowledge
neccesary to profitably select your own stocks and the
wherewithal to properly diversify, you cannot do it as
cheaply as a mutual fund can. Even using discount brokers
you will pay up to two percent or more in commissions - even
more using a full service broker. You will pay again when
you sell. Because they may buy millions of dollars worth of
stock at a time, mutual funds are able to negotiate broker's
fees to the bare minimum.
Using no-load mutual funds there are no sales charges - 100%
of your money is being invested for you. There are even
funds which have no minimum initial investment or minimum
subsequent investment - you can start investing with as
little as $100.00 or even less!
4. Ease of Recordkeeping:
Mutual funds handle all the paperwork and recordkeeping
necessary to keep track of your investment transactions.
They will mail your dividend checks promptly or reinvest
them in additional shares (the choice is yours). They will
provide accurate year-end summaries of all your transactions
for income tax purposes. If you have any questions many are
available 24 hours a day via a toll-free phone call.
5. Dollar Cost Averaging:
If you fear you will invest in a mutual fund right before
the market goes into a nosedive, you should consider
dollar-cost-averaging. This is a technique of investing a
set amount of money at regular intervals, monthly or
quarterly, rather than a lump sum all at once. You invest
the same amount of money regardless of whether the stock
market is going up or down. In fact, this strategy will
turn the ups and downs of the market into an advantage.
Let's look at an example:
Suppose you will have $100.00 available to invest for each
of the next four months. You are interested in a mutual
fund whose shares are currently selling for $10.00 each.
You invest your initial $100.00 and get 10 shares in return.
The next month, despite the fact the market dropped - your
shares are now trading at $5.00 - you again invest your
$100.00 and this time you receive 20 shares. Let's assume
by the next month the market has recovered and the shares
are again trading at $10.00. You invest your $100.00 and
receive 10 shares. The next month finds the market
continuing its rise and your shares are now selling for
$12.50. You invest your $100.00 and receive 8 shares.
Let's see how you have done:
Monthly Share Shares
Investment Price Purchased
$100 $10.00 10
100 5.00 20
100 10.00 10
100 12.50 8
---- ----- --
$400 48
---------------------------------------------------
Average share cost - $8.33 ($400 / 48)
Ending share price - $12.50
You have invested a total of $400.00 and own 48 shares at an
average price of $8.33 per share. Your 48 shares are worth
a total of $600.00 - you have made a profit of $200.00 in a
mixed market.
Investing A Lump Sum:
Single Share Shares
Investment Price Purchased
$400 $10.00 40
----- ----
$400 40
----------------------------------------------------
Average share cost - $10.00 ($400 / 40)
Ending share price - $12.50
Had you invested the whole $400.00 in the first month you
would have received 40 shares at the price of $10.00 each.
Those shares would now be worth $500.00 for a gain of
$100.00. Certainly a good return (using our example) but
only 50% as well as using dollar-cost-averaging.
The stock market will always fluctuate. This is a way to
take advantage of that fluctuation. Dollar-cost averaging
guarantees that you will always buy more shares when the
price of the shares are lower and less shares when the price
is higher. It doesn't take a lot of brilliance or hard work
- just discipline. You must invest the same amount every
month (or every quarter).
6. Liquidity:
Mutual fund investors can cash in their shares at any time
and receive the current value of their holdings. The fund
is always ready to redeem (buy back) its shares. Most funds
will allow you to use a wire transfer to transfer the funds
directly to your bank account. Many funds also have a check
writing privilege - if you need your money in a hurry,
simply write a check. Many funds also provide for
redemption via a toll-free phone call.
7. Family of Funds:
Many mutual funds are part of a "family of funds" (a group
of funds managed by the same company but with different
investment objectives). The advantage to this is an option
known as an exchange privilege or fund switching. Fund
switching has become quite popular as fund companies have
made it easy to move your money from one fund to another,
usually with only a toll-free telephone call.
Switching is an easy and convenient way to take advantage of
changing market conditions. If the stock market began to
decline, for instance, and your money was in a stock fund,
you might consider switching your investment into a money
market fund within the same family.
8. Convenience:
Mutual fund shares are easy to buy. Generally, no-load
funds have a toll-free number an investor (or potential
investor) can call for information. Some fund companies
have even set up retail centers for investors. Many have
payroll deduction plans and some funds, with proper
authorization, will deduct and invest on a regular basis a
specified amount from the shareholder's bank account.
You can automatically reinvest all dividends and capital
gains distributions allowing you to compound your earnings.
Conversely, you have the option of automatic withdrawal -
you may elect to have your earnings and/or part of your
principal sent to you, or anyone you designate, on a regular
basis (so called check-a-month plan).
Many funds offer checkwriting privileges. This can be very
helpful when you need to have quick access to your money.
Mutual funds are excellent vehicles for retirement
investing. The generally long-term nature of mutual fund
investing fits well with the long-term objectives of
investing for retirement.
*** End of Chapter ***