Mutual Funds/Questions

SubjectDate AskedExpert
expense ratio12/1/2011John D Smith, CFP
  Q: At what point are the expenses (expense ratio) subtracted from my account when trading in funds ...
  A: Expenses ratios arent technically subtracted from your account. Instead, the performance you achieve ...
Question about MF investment - whether I'm correct11/15/2011Devendra Dave
  Q: I'm new to MF SIP and would like to go for SIP for long team between 5-10 years. I would like to go ...
  A: I don’t know your age and liability but Your SIP tenure and funds are good except gold SIP. One ...
Annual Returns11/5/2011John D Smith, CFP
  Q: How is the annual returns determined on a mutual fund? For example, the historical returns for four ...
  A: The annual return calculation is a somewhat complicated one that can be determined using a financial ...
tax implications of transfer of mutual funds to surviving spouse10/20/2011John D Smith, CFP
  Q: Is there a deemed disposition and crystalisation of capital gains for tax purposes if a mutual fund ...
  A: Under US tax law there are no income tax consequences when you transfer in kind investment from one ...
calculating interest10/19/2011Warren Boroson
  Q: Please tell me if you think this calculation is correct. I think something might be screwed up. ...
  A: ASSUMING that there was a constant annual interest rate, compounded weekly, I find the annual ...
calculating interest10/19/2011John D Smith, CFP
  Q: Please tell me if you think this calculation is correct. I think something might be screwed up. ...
  A: Unfortunately your calulation is not entirely accurate. The reason being is that the average balance ...
Mutual Funds7/8/2011John D Smith, CFP
  Q: Sir, I have a question about no-load and Index funds. How these two differs? (main objective, fees, ...
  A: No load means there is no sales commission charged for purchasing or buying the shares. Depending on ...
cashing out retiremrnt6/22/2011John D Smith, CFP
  Q: I have a retirement plan thru HSBC from a previous employer , HSBC says I cant have a lump sum. Is ...
  A: If the plan is a defined contribution plan (i.e. Profit Sharing/401k) then you can take the money ...
Selling house6/7/2011John D Smith, CFP
  Q: We currently have our house on the market for $209,000. Question is if we sell it then we plan on ...
  A: If taxes are owed it would be on the amount you net from the sale of your homes that exceeds your ...
Principal Financial Group5/26/2011John D Smith, CFP
  Q: Mr. Smith The company I work for has a 401k plan with Principal Financial Group. There are so many ...
  A: As mentioned in my prior email, how you should invest the $$ is based on your tolerance for risk and ...
Principal Financial Group5/25/2011John D Smith, CFP
  Q: Mr. Smith The company I work for has a 401k plan with Principal Financial Group. There are so many ...
  A: Unfortunately this is a difficult question to answer since the right mix of investments is dependent ...
specific fund opinion5/4/2011Warren Boroson
  Q: Before I tell you what I'm considering, do you give opinions on specific mutual funds? I don't have ...
  A: I wouldn't buy either of them. While the American funds family is splendid, American doesn't have ...
bond funds4/28/2011Warren Boroson
  Q: Does a mutual fund in just bonds, a bond fund, have a maturity date like individual bonds do? And if ...
  A: They tend to pay more--because they don't have the high costs of annuities. Which typically include ...
bond funds4/25/2011Warren Boroson
  Q: Does a mutual fund in just bonds, a bond fund, have a maturity date like individual bonds do? And if ...
  A: Most bond funds don't have a maturity date. The funds keep buying new bonds. You can sell your ...
recommendation to sell all my mutual funds4/24/2011Warren Boroson
  Q: I had my first meeting with the new financial advisor at my bank...I'm 60 years old and have done ...
  A: The old truism is that the stock market "climbs a wall of worry." But right now, the wall seems ...
immediate access without withdrawal penalties4/23/2011John D Smith, CFP
  Q: If at some point I want to protect part of my portfolio by putting it into something that will allow ...
  A: Yes, there are options. You can invest your portfolio in a personal brokerage account through a no ...
recommendation to sell all my mutual funds4/23/2011Warren Boroson
  Q: I had my first meeting with the new financial advisor at my bank...I'm 60 years old and have done ...
  A: Mark Twain quoted an old black man as saying, tell me where someone gets his cornpone, and I'll tell ...
Simple vs. Complex Portfolios4/8/2011Warren Boroson
  Q: Most experts / books / magazines / websites seem to have their own set of model portfolios. ...
  A: Good question. And I mean it. In response, I'll quote a doctor named Cato Ohrn: "In the world of ...
Cost Basis on Mutual Fund Shares3/31/2011John D Smith, CFP
  Q: About a month prior to his death, my father-in-law added my wife and her sister to his mutual fund ...
  A: I apologize for my previous answer as I mis-read the details. Although it clearly states the ...
"Bad" Funds in Roth IRA3/4/2011Warren Boroson
  Q: I signed up for a Roth IRA with Primerica at a time when I didn't know much about financial matters. ...
  A: At a dinner I sat next to a stockbroker who sold mutual funds--did she sell only no-load funds with ...
Mutual Funds2/24/2011Warren Boroson
  Q: I would like to understand what funds are saying about returns on investments. At the following ...
  A: You're right. A big discrepancy. One explanation: The Fidelity figure is "not load adjusted." So ...
Joint Mutual Fund account2/23/2011John D Smith, CFP
  Q: Wonder if you can assist me. In 1996 I became engaged and my then fiance and I opened a joint mutual ...
  A: Since I am not an expert in dissolution law, you should follow your attorney's advice as titling ...
Mutual Funds2/21/2011Warren Boroson
  Q: I would like to understand what funds are saying about returns on investments. At the following ...
  A: Yes. The fund appreciated 61.99% over one year. It probably did poorly the year before--and the ...
Can these Mutual funds give be an income every year.2/19/2011Devendra Dave
  Q: After doing a small check online i have zeroed in on a few mutual funds which i felt are doing ...
  A: Please read mutual fund offer document and advertisement "Mutual Fund Investments are subject to ...
Mutual Funds Vs. ETFs2/12/2011Warren Boroson
  Q: I basically understand how mutual funds and ETFs work. I would like to know why an investor would ...
  A: For the long term, ETFs may be better in your case. Part of the following comes from a Website: ...
Cost2/1/2011Docs99
  Q: Quick question regarding any of my previously company own 401k's. Is there fee's of any sort for ...
  A: Your best bet is to talk to the company administering the plan and find out the specifics of the ...
joint tendant mutual funds1/31/2011Warren Boroson
  Q: there is a joint tenancy mutual funds with my mother and her sisiter.her sister has Alzheimer and ...
  A: This reply comes from an estate lawyer in New Jersey, Martin Cramer of Hackensack: I need more ...
Mutual funds1/30/2011Warren Boroson
  Q: I would like to know if there are plans in mutual funds where if i invest i can get monthly returns ...
  A: Some income funds may make distributions every month. Example: Fidelity Freedom Income (FFFAX). But ...
Mutual funds1/30/2011John D Smith, CFP
  Q: I and would like to know if there are plans in mutual funds where if i invest i can get monthly ...
  A: The performance of mutual funds is dependent on how the underlying investments within the mutual ...
Mutual funds1/30/2011Devendra Dave
  Q: I am from kerala and would like to know if there are plans in mutual funds where if i invest i can ...
  A: Apologize delay for the reply. If you want fix monthly income best way to put fix deposit and take ...
US government bond fund12/18/2010Warren Boroson
  Q: If I invest in something like (for example) the Vanguard US government intermediate term bond fund ...
  A: I'm re-sending this: You're right--if you hold an intermediate-term bond fund for several years, ...
YTD Return12/8/2010John D Smith, CFP
  Q: I use Yahoo Finance to follow my funds. When I look at the summary page on Yahoo, I see the YTD ...
  A: I apologize for the delayed response. When you look at performance through Yahoo, this should ...
mutual funds12/5/2010Warren Boroson
  Q: I'm 56 years old and have the majority of my 401k contributions going into Fidelity Freedom 2020. ...
  A: Invest in neither. Those two funds are too similar to the fund you own. 2020's R-squared is 98, the ...
Mutual Funds & Expenses11/29/2010Warren Boroson
  Q: A mutual fund has an expense ratio. This is the fee that the investor pays in order to own the fund. ...
  A: The costs of trading are netted from a fund's performance. If the fund has been making money, the ...
Mutual Funds & Expenses11/24/2010Warren Boroson
  Q: A mutual fund has an expense ratio. This is the fee that the investor pays in order to own the fund. ...
  A: The cost of buying and selling securities is NOT included in the expense ratio. The expense ratio's ...
Exchange Traded Funds & Mutual Funds11/22/2010John D Smith, CFP
  Q: Are there any mutual funds that contain exchange traded funds instead of stocks? Or is this type of ...
  A: Trading costs are assessed the same way as the expense ratio in that it lowers the funds overall ...
Exchange Traded Funds & Mutual Funds11/22/2010John D Smith, CFP
  Q: Are there any mutual funds that contain exchange traded funds instead of stocks? Or is this type of ...
  A: To clarify what I meant, if you decide to invest in ETF's on your own, then the only costs of doing ...
Exchange Traded Funds & Mutual Funds11/21/2010John D Smith, CFP
  Q: Are there any mutual funds that contain exchange traded funds instead of stocks? Or is this type of ...
  A: Without being able to recall the exact funds, there are ones that exist that invest a portion of the ...
licencing11/13/2010John D Smith, CFP
  Q: In order to become a licenced Mutal Fund sales rep., do I need to get a police check?
  A: Does your question pertain to getting a license to sell mutual funds in Canada or the US? If in ...
IRA MF Mix11/6/2010John D Smith, CFP
  Q: John, I am recently retired and have all my funds in Vanguard. Currently I have a 64% (bonds), 36% ...
  A: I will take your question in 2 parts; 1) the amount you should have in stocks vs bonds is dependent ...

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John D Smith, CFP

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I can answer detailed questions regarding mutual fund investing, retirement planning, education planning and related financial planning/investment issues. I have a B.S. degree in Financial Planning & Counseling. I am also a Certified Financial Planner practitioner and have performed fee only investment management and financial planning services for the past 11 years.

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