Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Are Mutual Funds Best For Me?

Investing in mutual funds can be a great way to augment your income, improve your current lifestyle, and save for a more comfortable retirement. You may have wondered, "Are mutual funds best for me?" The easiest way to answer this question is by explaining exactly what a mutual fund is, and exploring the pros of cons of this unique investment type. They are managed by industry experts - these funds are financed by pooled money from a wide variety of investors. This money is then used to buy into appealing stocks, bonds, and securities.

If you want to minimize risk while investing in this kind of product, you may want to consider a special type known as a sector mutual fund. These are created to invest in companies belonging to a specific segment of industry - the profits derived from initial investment are then used to buy up shares of many other companies. They are designed to lower the financial risk of its investors by diversifying through a score of companies.

Since stocks rise and fall, it can be difficult to know which shares will "hit the target". With successful sector funds, there will be hundreds of targets, and this can result in a greater profit level for investors. Careful research and due diligence on sector companies can be your best line of defense when deciding where to place your money - the more you know about a specific segment of industry, the better...

Like every other type of stock market investment, they come with their own set of benefits and drawbacks. Let's look at the positive side: when you purchase mutual funds, you will instantly gain access to a diversified portfolio - without having to pay fees to set up a bunch of single portfolios. However, you may need to buy more than one fund to get the best diversification result.

Buying any investment product is a gamble of sorts, and there are drawbacks. Knowing whether you're buying sector or regular mutual funds is important. For example, if you're investing in energy, you need to be aware that downturns in the industry (triggered by decreasing energy prices, changes to government regulations, or other variables), can all negatively impact your fund. Be smart and decide how to spread out risk when choosing your investment target, just as you would with a single stock.

Buying mutual funds during a recession can actually be smart if you choose the right money manager, as a financial expert will have the know-how to guide a fund through rough economic waters. You should also consider which industries, or sectors, are basically recession-proof - look for companies that produce everyday basics that everyone needs - these will be ideal sector mutual fund investments during stormy economic weather. However, there are really no guarantees - there will always be the risk of under-performing funds during a recession.

When times are good and the economy is robust, seeking out aggressive-growth products that offer earnings-momentum can be a smart decision. These funds are generally much pricier than average growth products, but they can pay for themselves by performing very well when supported by a strong economy.

Visit David Starling's website to learn how you can make $10K per month on the stock market. If you are thinking of mutual funds, see David's article on Mutual Funds Performance - keep a close eye on your funds.

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