Investing is arguably the most challenging and intimidating topic within personal finance. There’s a lot to know and the terminology can be confusing. To lower the fear factor and cut through the confusion, here are some of the investing essentials. Get In The Game There’s a financial force in the world so powerful that Einstein […]
Tag Archives | Mutual Funds
The Year Ahead at MattAboutMoney.com
I’m excited about the start of a New Year, the opportunity to pursue some important new goals, and the opportunity to share ideas with you on how to live with the freedom and joy that come from getting the money thing right. As we reset the calendar, this seems like an appropriate time to explain […]
The Case for Index Funds
A new study by professors at the University of Chicago and Dartmouth reinforces the wisdom of the small print in mutual fund advertisements: “Past performance does not guarantee future results.” The research found that “virtually all actively managed funds” fail to outperform the indexes against which they are compared, and that any success achieved by […]
How Gender Impacts Investor Behavior
Who do you think tends to be better investors: men or women? The latest in a fairly large body of research on the topic sides with women. As reported by The New York Times, a Vanguard analysis of 2.7 million IRA investors found that women were less likely to sell their equity investments at last […]
Recession Lessons: Diversification Still Works
The Great Recession prompted many pundits to declare much of the conventional investment wisdom null and void. But not so fast. An analysis by brokerage house T. Rowe Price (see the article starting on page 15) makes a compelling case that a properly diversified portfolio, including stock market exposure, is still the best route to […]
Money Market Funds Lose Insurance Protection
A temporary program insuring money market funds has expired. However, according to an article in on Kiplinger.com, there’s not much reason to worry about the safety of money invested in such funds. The insurance program was put in place last fall after the Reserve Primary Fund “broke the buck” – that is, the fund’s investment […]
Putting Your Money Where Your Values Are
Have you ever taken the time to see what companies your mutual funds are invested in? And do you know what businesses those companies are involved in? According to a U.S. News & World Report article, such concerns have fueled the rapid growth of socially responsible investing (SRI). Numerous SRI mutual funds are now available […]
More Savings Now Insured
Previously, I mentioned that the federal government is now insuring money saved in money market mutual funds. The move was made in response to a rare dip below a dollar for the value of shares in the Reserve Primary Fund. Two points of clarification are warranted. First, as reported by ABC News, the insurance only […]
Money Market Funds Now (Temporarily) Insured
Whereas money market accounts are a type of insured savings account offered by banks and credit unions, money market funds are mutual funds, which until last week were not insured against investment loss. Historically, money market funds have been widely viewed as extremely safe. However, within the mix of bad news last week came word […]
Making Sure Your Money Is Safe
The news of the past couple of weeks has been unsettling for many people, with Lehman Brothers filing for bankruptcy, Merrill Lynch being sold, and AIG getting a government bailout. Even if you don’t have money in these institutions it can make you wonder how safe your money is. In the midst of all the […]