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MUTUAL FUND BASICS

There are currently 42 offerings in the database.

Page(s): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

The Bull's-Eye Rating System

You'll notice that each of the fundfreebies entries have from 0 to 3 bull's-eyes after it. I'm using that symbol as a way to evaluate the content of each piece.

Now don't think that just because there aren't any bull's-eyes after a piece that it's not worth ordering. That's not the case at all. All of the materials presented are informative and have educational merit. And, little to no fund family p.r. fluff in them. I know this for a fact as I've read through each entry and personally decided upon its Bull's-Eye rating.

Here's what the ratings mean:

  • O to 1 bull's-eye means the piece is solid and informative.
  • 2 bull's-eyes means the piece is a cut above the 1 bull's-eye entries.
  • 3 bull's-eyes means content is strong, very educational and definitely worth a read.

  • MUTUAL FUND BASICS

    Get the Facts on Saving and Investing. This 26-page, 51/2" x 81/2" booklet is a publication of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission SEC designed to guide the beginner investor through the basics of making a financial plan and offers suggestions for making your money grow; warning signs to look for when evaluating an investment and a broker; and ways to protect yourself from problems, as well as what to do if you have a problem.

    To get this information free, call U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission 800-SEC-0330 and request it by title.


  • MUTUAL FUND BASICS

    A Guide to Understanding Mutual Funds. A 35-page, 8 1/2" x 11" folder and booklet containing a 4-page insert of questions you should ask before you invest in a mutual fund; defines several types of mutual funds and how they're structured; offers a guide for establishing an investment plan, including a fill-in-the-blank worksheet for estimating your retirement needs. Also talks about inflation risks, tax considerations, and the importance of becoming an informed investor with tips on how to read a mutual fund fee table and includes a glossary mutual fund terms and useful addresses and numbers.

    To get this information free, call U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission 800-SEC-0330 and request it by title.


  • MUTUAL FUND BASICS

    Invest Wisely-An Introduction to Mutual Funds. A 19-page, 4" x 9" booklet from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that offers basic advice and tips about how mutual funds work, how to compare performance and costs of mutual funds, and lists other sources of information for researching mutual funds. It also includes addresses and phone numbers of SEC offices throughout the United States.

    To get this information free, call U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission 800-SEC-0330 and request it by title.


  • MUTUAL FUND BASICS

    Ask Questions-Questions You Should Ask About Your Investments. This one-page, 81/2" x 14" mini-let, folded in thirds, published by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, gives you a list of questions you should ask about investment products and the people who sell those products. Has tips on how to monitor your investments and handle any problems.

    To get this information free, call U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission 800-SEC-0330 and request it by title.


  • MUTUAL FUND BASICS

    Cold Calling Alert. A 17-page, 5" x 81/2" booklet that tells you about your legal rights concerning cold calling, how to stop them, and how to evaluate investment opportunities that come your way over the telephone.

    To get this information free, call U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission 800-SEC-0330 and request it by title.


  • MUTUAL FUND BASICS

    Ballpark Estimate. A 4-page, 81/2" x 11" pamphlet folded in thirds that includes a one-page worksheet for calculating how much you need to save for retirement and useful facts and sources for additional information.

    To get this information free, call U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission 800-SEC-0330 and request it by title.


  • MUTUAL FUND BASICS

    Mutual Fund Basics, from The Vanguard Group. his 32-page, 8 1/2" x 11" booklet from the Plain Talk Library offers basic information about mutual funds and how to evaluate them. The booklet also features an 11-question investment questionnaire, which will help you to choose an appropriate allocation strategy for each of your investment goals. Each question earns the reader points, depending on his or her answer. Here is one of them: "When the market goes down, I tend to sell off parts of my riskier assets and put the money in safer assets. a. Strongly agree (one point) b. I agree (two points) c. I somewhat agree (three points) d. I disagree (4 points) e. I strongly disagree (5 points).

    To get this information free, call The Vanguard Group 800-662-7447 and request it by title.


  • MUTUAL FUND BASICS

    Taxes and Mutual Funds, from The Vanguard Group. Every investor faces the simple truth of taxes on bottom-line investment profits. This 40-page, 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" booklet from the Plain Talk Library reveals important strategies for maximizing your take-home profits and potentially benefiting from losses. It also offers tips for proper IRS reporting of investment returns. The booklet makes the point: "Generally all income and capital gains distributions are subject to federal income taxes (and often state and local taxes as well). You must pay taxes on distributions regardless of whether you receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares." Something worth remembering.

    To get this information free, call The Vanguard Group 800-662-7447 and request it by title.


  • MUTUAL FUND BASICS

    Bond Fund Investing, from The Vanguard Group. A 40-page, 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" booklet from the Plain Talk Library, Bond Fund Investing helps you to determine how bond funds can have a role in your investment strategy. You'll also learn the differences between bonds and mutual funds and that by using bond funds investors can earn regular monthly income. This A-to-Z guide to individual and mutual fund bond investing offers a spectrum of information, from defining the basics of bonds and describing the benefits and disadvantages of bond investing, to helping investors measure bond performance.

    To get this information free, call The Vanguard Group 800-662-7447 and request it by title.


  • MUTUAL FUND BASICS

    Index Investing, from The Vanguard Group. This 28-page, 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" booklet from the Plain Talk Library reveals important information about index funds, one of the fastest growing types of mutual funds around. Vanguard says that Index funds are not "...to investors who expect to make a 'killing.' Instead, the strategy should attract long-term investors who seek a very competitive long-term investment return through broadly diversified portfolios." Additional pluses, investors benefit from the funds' low trading activities and lower costs for fund management and expenses. There's also a potential tax advantage of indexing. Learn about the cost and tax advantages of indexes funds, as well as the different types, such as equity, international and bond indexing.

    To get this information free, call The Vanguard Group 800-662-7447 and request it by title.


  • MUTUAL FUND BASICS

    International Investing, from The Vanguard Group. A 24-page, 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" booklet from the Plain Talk Library, International Investing introduces the opportunities investing beyond U.S. securities can bring. By investing in international markets, as well as U.S. securities, you're achieving one of the most important investment strategies: diversification. According to the booklet, "The United States is the world's largest market by far, but it accounts for only 49 percent of the total market value, or capitalization of the world's stocks." Is international investing for you? This brochure explains the possible benefits, risks and costs of international investing and differentiates types of international funds to help you make a more informed decision.

    To get this information free, call The Vanguard Group 800-662-7447 and request it by title.


  • MUTUAL FUND BASICS

    Measuring Mutual Fund Performance, from The Vanguard Group. This 28-page, 5 1/2" by 8 1/2" booklet helps you to answer the question: How is my fund performing? Simply checking investment returns won't do the trick. Learn step by step, how to identify and evaluate the components of a fund's financial statement. Compare funds and learn how to track more than the share price. This booklet offers the not-so-obvious information you need to know for fund investing like understanding that a fund's past total return--particularly for shorter periods such as one or two years--doesn't enable you to properly evaluate the fund. Instead, according to the piece, "Investors should use long-term performance data whenever possible, compare a fund's returns with those of similar funds or with an appropriate market benchmark, and keep in mind that market conditions vary from year to year--as it's unlikely that last year's performance will be duplicated this year."

    To get this information free, call The Vanguard Group 800-662-7447 and request it by title.



    • HOW WE FIGURE THINGS
    Since the educational data we received comes from a variety of different sources---and in all different sizes and shapes---we figured it would be best to have specific labels for each differently sized piece.

    To keep things in order, we count everything: The front cover is one page, the inside cover, page 2, etc. Consequently, there will no doubt be a difference in the number of pages you read in the reviews about the piece and the number of pages printed in it.

    With that in mind, here's a legend that names the various sized pieces. Read through it and you'll know why we call booklets booklets and pamphlets pamphlets:

  • Report. These are one- or two-page, often two-sided, reports on 8 1/2" x 11" papers. MFS and Pioneer have many of them.

  • Mini-let. That's a one-page piece of paper of various sizes folded in various ways. Copy here might read: "8 12" x 17" paper folded in thirds".

  • Pamphlet. Something with up to 12 pages---that includes counting the front and back cover pages, for a total of 4 pages right there. (This differs from the Mini-let in that these are separate pages and not part of one sheet of paper folded down.)

  • Booklet. Any unbound piece over 12 pages in length, covers again being counted in as 4 pages.

  • Tiny Book. All bound pieces, like some of the Scudder things. Count cover pages also.
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