Thursday, January 25, 2007
Some Good Mid-Cap Mutual Funds
Large cap funds provides relative stable returns, small cap funds are more volitile but have better returns in long run, and mid-caps, as the name suggest, are in the middle. Thar's the reason I favor mid-cap funds. Again, several funds are closed to new investors.
(1) ADVDX
This is a relative new and unique fund, which takes the advantage of lower tax rate (15%) for dividends. It has a dividend rate of ~10%, and the fund itself did very well.
(2) Fidelity Funds: FDVLX, FLVCX
Fidelity offers too many funds, so many gems are buried. Fidelity Value Fund has tested by time and Fidelity Leveraged Company Fund has had excellent performance but it is slowing down as the fund gets bigger.
(3) JMCVX, SMCDX, TAVFX
These are several other good mid cap funds have performed well even in market dowturns.
(1) ADVDX
This is a relative new and unique fund, which takes the advantage of lower tax rate (15%) for dividends. It has a dividend rate of ~10%, and the fund itself did very well.
(2) Fidelity Funds: FDVLX, FLVCX
Fidelity offers too many funds, so many gems are buried. Fidelity Value Fund has tested by time and Fidelity Leveraged Company Fund has had excellent performance but it is slowing down as the fund gets bigger.
(3) JMCVX, SMCDX, TAVFX
These are several other good mid cap funds have performed well even in market dowturns.
Labels: Mutual Funds
Saturday, January 20, 2007
A Few Good All Weather Funds
To start to invest in mututal funds, one may feel more comfortable to invest in the all weather funds, thoses mutual funds that fare well in market downturns. Most of these funds fall into the "Moderate Assest Allocation" by Morningstar ratings. Some of the good funds has grown so big that they are closed to new investors, including OAKBX, DODBX, FPACX, LCORX, etc. Only a few open ones are discussed below.
(1) PRWCX
As mentioned before, T. Rowe Price Capital Appreciation Fund is an amazing fund that has not had a negative return for almost two decades, including the years after the tech bubble bursted. It is one of my favorites.
(2) OAKBX & OAKGX
Oakmark Equity & Income Fund is closed to new investors from other brokerage firms, but still allows new investment if one opens an account directly with Oakmark. This means one seperated account, which is against the Simple Principle.
Another fund from this company is Oakmark Global Fund. Although it suppose to only allow news investors who directly open accounts with the company, for some reason you can still purchase this fund from WellsTrade.
(3) LAALX
LCORX was closed, but the company offered a similar fund - Leuthold Asset Allocation Fund. The initial investment requirment is $10,000, but only $1000 for retirement account.
(4) TWEIX & TGIGX
Some Large Cap Value Funds are fairly resistent to market downturn as well, including American Century Equity Income Fund and TCW Dividend Focused Fund.
There are other funds like Bruce Fund and American Funds Income Fund with good past performance, but I did not do research on these funds.
(1) PRWCX
As mentioned before, T. Rowe Price Capital Appreciation Fund is an amazing fund that has not had a negative return for almost two decades, including the years after the tech bubble bursted. It is one of my favorites.
(2) OAKBX & OAKGX
Oakmark Equity & Income Fund is closed to new investors from other brokerage firms, but still allows new investment if one opens an account directly with Oakmark. This means one seperated account, which is against the Simple Principle.
Another fund from this company is Oakmark Global Fund. Although it suppose to only allow news investors who directly open accounts with the company, for some reason you can still purchase this fund from WellsTrade.
(3) LAALX
LCORX was closed, but the company offered a similar fund - Leuthold Asset Allocation Fund. The initial investment requirment is $10,000, but only $1000 for retirement account.
(4) TWEIX & TGIGX
Some Large Cap Value Funds are fairly resistent to market downturn as well, including American Century Equity Income Fund and TCW Dividend Focused Fund.
There are other funds like Bruce Fund and American Funds Income Fund with good past performance, but I did not do research on these funds.
Labels: Mutual Funds
Monday, January 01, 2007
Companies Offer Simple Mutual Funds
To buy mutual funds is a easy start to invest. Many mutual fund companies offer so many funds that investor get lost in picking the right funds to invest, including Fidelity and Vanguard. Some companies are able to limit the proliferation of numbers of fund. Good examples are Oakmark Funds and T. Rowe Price.
OAKMARK FUNDS
Small firm. Only seven funds, all highly rated with superb performance. OAKBX is great for asstet allocation fund, and OAKGX is great for internation exposure. The only problem is many funds are closed to new investors.
T. ROWE PRICE FUNDS
Large firm, still manage to keep small number of funds compared with other big mutual fund companies. It offers several good funds, including the Capital Appreciation Fund PRWCX. Forget about Legg Mason Value Trust Fund, which beat S&P 500 for 15 years only ending in year 2006. What about PRWCX never had a down year for 19 straight years?
OAKMARK FUNDS
Small firm. Only seven funds, all highly rated with superb performance. OAKBX is great for asstet allocation fund, and OAKGX is great for internation exposure. The only problem is many funds are closed to new investors.
T. ROWE PRICE FUNDS
Large firm, still manage to keep small number of funds compared with other big mutual fund companies. It offers several good funds, including the Capital Appreciation Fund PRWCX. Forget about Legg Mason Value Trust Fund, which beat S&P 500 for 15 years only ending in year 2006. What about PRWCX never had a down year for 19 straight years?
