Mutual Fund Insider

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• Navigating the Flaws of Target Date Funds

  By Nathan Hale | Nov 16, 2009 | 0 comments

  In the wake of the recent bear market, target date funds have come under a great deal of scrutiny. And it's well deserved. The market's decline has exposed a number of flaws in these funds. Until those flaws are addressed by regulators or the industry, investors are on their own in selecting a target date fund to help them reach their retirement goals.

• Beware of the Differences Between S&P 500 Index Funds

  By Nathan Hale | Nov 9, 2009 | 8 comments

  Think all S&P 500 Index funds are equal? Think again. There is a huge difference in the fees that these funds charge. And despite what some experts say, a seemingly small difference in expenses can add up to huge differences in wealth over time.

• Fund Fight: Will the Supreme Court Save You Money?

  By Nathan Hale | Nov 2, 2009 | 4 comments

  Judge Frank Easterbrook is wrong. The mutual fund industry is unlike any other in the country, which is why Congress passed a law 39 years ago protecting fund investors. That law -- and the fund industry -- will be scrutinized by the Supreme Court today in Jones v. Harris Associates. Here is why the petitioners should win.

• Long/Short Mutual Funds — More Style than Substance

  By Nathan Hale | Oct 26, 2009 | 1 comment

  As a general rule, if someone recommends an investment product or strategy to you largely on the basis of its sophistication, your best move is to run in the opposite direction. That would seem to be an appropriate reaction to anyone attempting to convince you of the merits of a “sophisticated” long/short mutual fund. For a [...]

• Don’t Let Your Mutual Fund Misuse Your Money

  By Nathan Hale | Oct 19, 2009 | 0 comments

  Own a fund that's being sued by investors because the manager made terrible decisions and the board was asleep at the switch? To add insult to injury, many mutual funds are able to use investor assets to defend themselves from those lawsuits.

• How to Make Money in Mutual Funds: Own a Mutual Fund Firm

  By Nathan Hale | Oct 12, 2009 | 0 comments

  The most recent Forbes 400 list of the richest Americans confirms that the best way to make a fortune in mutual funds is not to invest in them, but to manage them. The wealth accumulated by the owners of America's largest mutual fund firms stands in stark contrast to how managers viewed their role in the industry's early years.

• Tune Out Mutual Fund Horse Race Reporting

  By Nathan Hale | Oct 5, 2009 | 0 comments

  For better or worse (mostly, in my strong opinion, the latter) most mutual fund reporting makes investing seem like a horse race: Here’s who won over the past year or so, along with some analysis that attempts to explain those results. That’s not surprising, of course. Investing is a bottom-line business, and each manager’s success [...]

• Should You Worry that the Feds No Longer Insure Your Money Market Fund?

  By Nathan Hale | Sep 28, 2009 | 2 comments

  The Treasury Department's money market insurance program has officially ended, and with it the federal government's guarantee that your investment will be worth $1 per share. Should this worry you, and how can you make sure that you're not caught holding the next Reserve Primary money market fund?

• The Mutual Fund Industry vs. Mutual Fund Investors, Part Two

  By Nathan Hale | Sep 21, 2009 | 2 comments

  On November 2, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in Jones v. Harris Associates, a case that could fundamentally alter the mutual fund industry. This week, I take a second look at the amicus brief filed by the Investment Company Institute (ICI) in support of the mutual fund manager.

• The Mutual Fund Industry vs. Mutual Fund Investors, Part One

  By Nathan Hale | Sep 14, 2009 | 0 comments

  The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments in a case that could either fundamentally restructure the mutual fund industry, or reinforce the status quo. Given the stakes, it's not surprising to find that the Investment Company Institute (ICI) has written a strong amicus brief in support of the case's defendant, mutual fund manager Harris Associates. It's also not surprising to find the ICI making some spurious arguments in support of the status quo.

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