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About John D Smith, CFP
(Top Expert on this page)

Expertise
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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Questions Answered By Expert John D Smith, CFP
In Category Mutual Funds

Subject	Date Asked

index fund, Ariel funds	7/21/2008
Q: I have about $20,000 sitting in my checking account and would like to park it somewhere where it ... A: Yes, there are low cost index funds that do not impose fees to purchase or sell and I am a big ...
Mutual Funds/CDs	7/15/2008
Q: When my father in law died he left our 6yo son 5000. We invested it in a Mutual fund and now 2 ... A: The "best" way to invest is dependent on youre specific risk tolerance and goals. Since there is no ...
Performance of Mutual Funds over five years	6/26/2008
Q: I am a student at Colorado State University and was curious about how a fictitious person's money ... A: In order to calculate this you would first need to know the performance of the mutual fund over the ...
currency ETFs	6/26/2008
Q: Do currency ETFs go up and down with the currencies they track? A: The price flucuation of ETF's are technically driven by the purchase and sale pressures of the ...
taxable dividends	5/13/2008
Q: I own funds with t rowe price, dodge & Cox and vanguard. It seems that relative to the poor ... A: First, it is important to realize that 2007 was a record year on average for distributions from ...
Mutual Fund	5/9/2008
Q: What is your feeling about the Janus Fund (JANSX). I have been holding this fund since 1999 as part ... A: As you are aware as an investor in the fund, Janus has been around a long time and has gone through ...
Re: Advice on Investment Portfolio	4/22/2008
Q: Re: Advice on Investment Portfolio Hello, after reading 9 books on investing I have created my ... A: First, to clarify, I think you are heading in the right direction by building a portfolio of ETF's. ...
mutual fund	4/21/2008
Q: What's your opinion on T.Rowe Price Latin America? Is Latin America still a good place to be? A: For ling term investing, I feel Latin America is a good place to be. However, lating america, like ...
ETF's in 403(b)	3/12/2008
Q: I read your response regarding ETF's in a 403(b). I would like to do this also, but I was told that ... A: My understanding is that only mutual funds can be part of the investment choices in 403b's, not ...
ira-mutual funds	3/7/2008
Q: I now have all my IRA investments in 5 mutual funds, as I have been advised by my bank's investment ... A: The important thing to remember with investing is risk and return. The higher the return you expect ...
Moving America Funds to Money Market	2/16/2008
Q: In Sept 07 I moved fund balances from ICA and Growth Fund of America to Cash Mgmnt Trust of America ... A: If you sold the shares of ICA and Growth Fund of America for gain then this gain does need to be ...
Mutual Fund handling - Inheritance/Disposition	2/11/2008
Q: I inherited a mutual fund from my mother. My name was on the account only because I was Power of ... A: The cost basis of the mutual fund holding is the value as of the date of death or 9 months later. ...
First Time Investor	2/3/2008
Q: I will be attending university this upcoming fall and if all goes well I will not have any payments ... A: How you invest depends on many factors, such as the amount you have to invest, the amount of ...
mutual funds 2 or one?	1/30/2008
Q: I have just been hired by a bank. They contribute to a mutual fund within their company when ... A: I am a firm believer in making sure a portfolio is diversified, so if you choose to invest in only 1 ...
Mixing Rollover and Non Rollover IRA	1/29/2008
Q: Sir: 25 Years ago, when my employer laid me off, I converted a Vanguard 401K plan to a "rollover ... A: The IRS does not require you to keep the accounts separate. The purpose of keeping them separate is ...
mutual fund redemption	1/28/2008
Q: I am the nominee for a mutual fund equally owned by 3 people. I have always reported all 1099-DIV ... A: The tax transaction needs to be reported on whoever's tax return matches up with the social security ...
fxi	1/25/2008
Q: what is your current opinion about "fxi" thanks A: I like iShares and exchanged traded funds in general, so any reservations I have about FXI is the ...
Asset Allocation	12/7/2007
Q: Could you suggest an asset allocation strategy of how a beginning investor desiring moderate to high ... A: Although there are various rules of thumb, a person's asset allocation should be based on their ...
taking from fund to payoff loan?	11/27/2007
Q: I have a fund (not sure if it's a 403B or if it's called a mutual fund) with Planmember Corp ... A: Under most circumstances, mortgage interest is deductible as an itemized deduction on your income ...
taking from fund to payoff loan?	11/26/2007
Q: I have a fund (not sure if it's a 403B or if it's called a mutual fund) with Planmember Corp ... A: If you take the $$ out of the 403b, the amount withdrawn will be subject to a 10% early withdrawal ...
ETF's in Retirement accounts	11/20/2007
Q: I have a question about using Exchange-Traded Funds (ETF's) instead of Mutual Funds for my ... A: In regards to your question, the first thing to confirm is whether or not ETF's are on the ...
rollover from lump sum	11/17/2007
Q: i have an $80,000 lump sum,plus $2,900 monthly pension.my advisor suggest i roll the $80,000 over ... A: Yes, there are many mutual fund companies and mutual funds that are no load. The reason the broker ...
Invested in Loaded Mutual Fund -what should we do	11/7/2007
Q: I helped my 25 year old daughter set up her mutual from a friend from Primerica. We don't know until ... A: This is the Legg Mason Agressive Growth Fund class A shares which means the commission was paid up ...
mutual funds	10/26/2007
Q: I've been told that investing in no-load mutual funds is the way to go. (I'm a bit of a financial ... A: As it relates to investing in mutual funds, my preference is to use no-load (no commissiones) vs ...
ETF and Mutual Funds	10/7/2007
Q: I am 32 and have began to invest for retirement. I have a couple questions if you don’t mind: 1) I ... A: People will typically purchase mutual funds through brokers such as Scottrade in order to be able to ...
Mutul funds about investment	10/1/2007
Q: 1. What is invest mutul funds? 2. How to invest money in mutul funds? 3. What is best mutul funds to ... A: A mutual funds is an investment vehicle where money from different investors is pooled together and ...
Index Funds	9/29/2007
Q: could you please recommend some good index mutual funds that try to replicate the following indexes: ... A: For mutual funds, you can look at the Vanguard group of index funds for the Russell 2000 and MSCI ...
Mutual Fund decision	8/31/2007
Q: I was recently hired as an Associate teacher for an Intermediate Unit, an entity of the school ... A: Without having the opportunity to review the mutual fund choices at each company it is difficult for ...
timing of share redemption	8/28/2007
Q: I plan to redeem nearly half of my shares in a mutual fund soon to buy a new vehicle. This fund ... A: Once the dividend is paid, the share price of the fund will be reduced to compensate for this ...
Turnover Ratio	8/10/2007
Q: How is the turnover ratio determined for a mutual fund? For example, a ratio of 150 percent means ... A: Actually, the turnover is based on the number of holdings in the fund that are sold. Therefore, in ...
Turnover Ratio	8/8/2007
Q: How is the turnover ratio determined for a mutual fund? For example, a ratio of 150 percent means ... A: turnover tracks the trading that goes on in a portfolio. For example, a turnover ratio of 100% ...
IRA advice needed	4/18/2007
Q: We had a financial advisor over the house on the weekend to talk about our IRA. He suggests putting ... A: First, let me comment on the advisor saying it is better than putting your $$ in CD's. In my ...
investing in a mutual fund	4/17/2007
Q: I'm interested in putting money into a mutual fund, maybe a Vanguard mutual fund. If I start at age ... A: If you earn 10% (a little less than the long term historical performance of the stock market) your ...
General Idea about mutual fund	4/7/2007
Q: Sir, What is Equity diversified fund? what is debt fund? what is balanced fund? Will you please ... A: A diversified equity fund is a mutual fund that invest only in a diversified basket of stocks. A ...
lic growth fund	3/29/2007
Q: i pay premium of 40,000 pa for lic growth fund.i don t understand how my money is invested .when ... A: You should have received a confirmation when you purchased the mutual fund shares that shows how ...
Mutual 101	3/21/2007
Q: I want to put money in a mutual fund but I can't find someone to do it for a decent price any ... A: For a $1000 investment, if you know the mutual fund you want to buy, I would open the account ...
online savings	2/11/2007
Q: I'm not sure if this falls in your field or not - if not maybe you can point me in the right ... A: In my experience, online banks do offer more on their accounts that a traditional bank savings ...
Getting Started	1/22/2007
Q: I am a 17 year old hoping to invest about $2000 dollars in a mutual fund. I wouldn’t plan on taking ... A: Generally speaking, I would agree that it makes sense to invest more agressively right now. Since ...
GSSMX Fund drop	12/15/2006
Q: One of my better performing mutual funds in my 401k retirement plan dropped 6% to 7%, December ... A: That is probably correct. Many mutual funds are paying significant year end distributions, so this ...
Chase VS Others	10/25/2006
Q: I need assistance in figuring out who to invest my mutual fund with. I have the Franklyn Templeton ... A: I would agree that the 5% they are charging is uncessary. There are alot of no load mutual funds ...
Mutual Funds	10/21/2006
Q: I am not an expert on mutual funds but am familiar with the basics (at least I think I am). I am ... A: Befor I answer your questions, I would also like to suggest you visit the following website for ...
UGMA Transfer	9/19/2006
Q: I have two UGMA accounts set up in the kids names. (one child 14 the other 11) The fund/s they are ... A: Depending on your overall objective, you have a couple of different options. One option is to ...
invest	9/17/2006
Q: Are you aware of any USA-listed mutual fund or REIT that invests heavily or exclusively on Japanese ... A: No I do not, however, there are several global REITS that have come to market in the past year or so ...
No Load Mutual Funds	9/10/2006
Q: I'm new to investing; almost brand new. Can you tell me what a no load mutual fund is? Thanks, Kim ... A: A no load mutual fund is a mutual fund that does not impose a sales charge (commission) when you buy ...
Certified Fund Specialist designation	8/30/2006
Q: Regarding compliance, how one would become properly registered to offer advice? If I'm not going to ... A: I apologize, but my expertise is not in compliance. I have someone in my company that takes care of ...
Certified Fund Specialist designation	8/29/2006
Q: What I would like to do is start a small business on the side advising individuals on mutual funds ... A: Actually, you can offer advice without having any designation. Designations are more important when ...
Investing in Mutual Funds	8/3/2006
Q: My name is Eden and I am from Rotorua, New Zealand. I have three kids, and live on one income. It's ... A: Can you please clarify; do you currently live in New Zealand or do you live in the USA? If you live ...
how to buy stocks	7/31/2006
Q: how do you buy stocks also - prices vary from how much to how little? A: In order to purchase shares of stock, it is usually most efficient to open an account at a discount ...
Young and interested	7/26/2006
Q: I am almost 23 and looking to begin investing my money but not sure exactly where to start. I am in ... A: Instead of offering specific advice regarding your situation, which is very difficult (and not very ...
help	7/25/2006
Q: in a mutual fund i can put money in , and over time it will grow right , but by how muchi'm 16 teen ... A: Over time, the value of the mutual fund investment should grown. How much it grows will depend on ...
websites for over-weight & underweight recommendations	7/17/2006
Q: Could you give me a clue as to what search words I should use to locate the place on the websites of ... A: "asset allocation strategies" or "asset class strategies" should yield some results. Also, if you ...
websites for over-weight & underweight recommendations	7/16/2006
Q: In my investing I would like to keep abreast of what various experts suggest in overweighting and ... A: I am very familiar with these types of resources on the insititutional side, meaning you have to pay ...
amount to withdraw from 403b funds at age 70 1/2	7/7/2006
Q: I have several 403b mutual funds. How much must I withdraw from these funds at age 70 1/2. Must ... A: Your required distribution amount is based on the total value of all qualified accounts (403b, IRA, ...
bonds, cds	5/31/2006
Q: I am 18 years old and want to invest. I don't know much about stocks or bonds but I was told by a co ... A: In my opinion, how you invest your $$ depends on your specific goals and risk tolerance. CD's are a ...
Where to invest?	5/30/2006
Q: I just finished up my freshman year at college. I will have summer jobs each summer until I ... A: I would contact your local bank or a mutual fund company such as Vanguard (www.vanguard.com) and ...
withdrawing some money from my kids mutual savings account	5/25/2006
Q: will I have to pay taxes on monies I withdraw from my kids mutual savings account? A: The tax consequences of withdrawing from an investment account depends on what type of account it is ...
Hi John, Most mutual funds...	4/28/2006
Q: Most mutual funds do well when the general market is going up but what types of mutual funds would ... A: In my opinion, the best way to protect against this is to diversify your holdings will large US, ...
portfolio anaylsis	4/26/2006
Q: I am aware that the Beta measures risk, I having difficulty wording this but what I was trying to ... A: It sounds like you are trying to optimize these 2 assets? If this is the case, then you should ...
investing -student	4/21/2006
Q: I checked their website: http://www.tdcanadatrust.com/accounts/int-calc.pdf And I did not see ... A: The reason you do not see money market on the information you are looking at is because your $$ are ...
Mutual Funds 101	4/18/2006
Q: Sorry about the list of questions earlier. Just two quick questions: 1) What's the difference ... A: To add to my previous explanation regarding value and growth. Think of a value company as one that ...
Loss Distribution on Mutual Funds	4/17/2006
Q: Mr. Smith, I know that mutual funds sometimes have losses. 1. Do they ever distribute those ... A: Actually, mutual funds are not allowed to distribute losses. They instead use these internal losses ...
I'd like to cash out my mutual...	4/14/2006
Q: I'd like to cash out my mutual funds to invest in my amall business. The funds are in a retirement ... A: It depends on the type of plan and where it is currently invested, but typically the company holding ...
a funds	3/12/2006
Q: which is a betterinvestment, I have A funds in my portfolio, I was told I would do better ... A: The answer to this question depends on the quality of advice you would be getting from the managed ...
Annual Expenses	2/10/2006
Q: I want to thank you for the reply and answer. If I have calculated correctly, the annual management ... A: Yes, assuming 75% of your investments are in the fund with a 1.15% expense ratio and 25% of your ...
Annual Expenses	2/9/2006
Q: How can someone determine his annual management fees for more than one investment? For example, if ... A: You are on the right track, however, you need to weight each mutual fund based on how much you have ...
mutual fund capital gains taxes	2/8/2006
Q: I have had a mutual fund since 1993. I have been paying taxes on the dividends, which are rolled ... A: You have to pay taxes on the gains, but not on the dividends that have been paid and reinvested. ...
Cash Balance in an IRA.	2/3/2006
Q: I recently made an early distribution from my IRA to take advantage of some of a soaring mining ... A: Mt suggestion would be to put the money in a competively yielding money market account or a 12 month ...
why pay a financial planner	1/27/2006
Q: assuming I do reasonable research, invest in a diversified array of mutual funds with good track ... A: In my opinion, you should pay a financial planner if you feel they can offer services that will ...
need to know	1/5/2006
Q: i listing to you some stock topics & i want you to take a look then tell me is that topic ... A: For a beginner to investing, I would still stick with books, etc, that talk about widely accepted ...
need to know	1/4/2006
Q: i listing to you some stock topics & i want you to take a look then tell me is that topic ... A: Unfortunately it is difficult for me to recommend these courses without knowing more detail about ...
401k strategy	12/11/2005
Q: I am 35 years away from retirement. Does it make sense to have a very aggressive growth strategy for ... A: In my opinion, it does make sense to have an agressive growth strategy for retirement savings needed ...
I'm looking for a place, on...	11/29/2005
Q: I'm looking for a place, on which there is classifieds, where people sell a business and search for ... A: The Wallstreet Journal has a section each week that posts small business opportunities...both ...
inflation-protected bonds	10/14/2005
Q: Fidelity, Vanguard, and others have offered inflation-protected bond funds for several years now. ... A: TIPS perform the best in periods of unanticipated inflation. Regardless of the interest rate ...
401k	9/15/2005
Q: What are the pros and cons of just throwing all of my allocation into an Index fund such as a fund ... A: I agree with the philosophy of using index funds since over time active managers have a tough time ...
tax break on dividends	9/9/2005
Q: I've been considering buying a Vanguard mutual fund which invests in dividend paying stocks. This ... A: Your question is a great one Tom, and to be honest, nobody knows for sure what will happen. The ...
treasury	9/8/2005
Q: When my absolute priority of investing is peservation of capital is the word "treasury"some sort of ... A: The word treasury would imply guaranteed against default since it is backed by the US government. ...
Rate Of Return & Total Return	9/1/2005
Q: I want to thank you for the reply. I am somewhat confused. You indicated in your reply "rate of ... A: and sorry for the confusion. As I mentioned the phrase rate of return and total return on ...
Rate Of Return & Total Return	9/1/2005
Q: Is there a difference between rate of return and total return on an investment? Perhaps you can ... A: Both terms are used to provide and investor with a benchmark of performance. Depending on the ...
Selling shares of a bond fund that accrues dividends daily.	6/27/2005
Q: I'm passing this question your way since you offer to "answer detailed questions regarding mutual ... A: Like all mutual funds, the NAV of a bond mutual fund at the end of each day is a function of the ...
investing	6/10/2005
Q: I have some money in the market with wacovia I have FBICX @ 110599M shares and XLACX 1,915.071 ... A: As you eluded to, risk and return go hand in hand. Unfortunately, there is no sure fire way to ...
commodity broker	5/4/2005
Q: I was wondering what is a commodity broker? What exactly do they do for a living? I've heard this ... A: Commodities are the raw materials that producers use to create the goods that people buy and the ...
Mutual Funds	4/14/2005
Q: I am looking to invest in mutual funds and was wondering if there were and that involved real ... A: Yes, there are mutual funds that invest in Real Estate. In my opinion, funds that are worthwhile ...
mutual funds	4/12/2005
Q: I have been given an IRA/SEP and would like to switch to ira but was told that Mutual investments ... A: Regarding the allocation you mentioned, if low risk is what you are looking for, then this will not ...
MUTUAL FUNDS OF INDIA.	3/15/2005
Q: I would like to know the answers for the following questions: 1) I have invested in diversified ... A: Regarding your questions: 1) Whether or not you should invest in bonds depends on your risk ...
License requirements	3/11/2005
Q: Are mutual fund portfolio managers and analysts required to have any specific licenses (series 7, ... A: A publically traded mutual fund by law is required to be registered with the securities and exchange ...
Commodity Futures Mutual Fund	3/11/2005
Q: Sir: Is there such a thing as a managed fund along the lines of a stock mutual fund in the ... A: Pimco Commodity Real Return and Oppenheimer Real Asset are the 2 funds I am most familiar with that ...
Roll Over	1/30/2005
Q: I retired 2 years ago and have left part of my retirement investments in a 401K plan that my former ... A: In my opinion, how your portfolio should be invested depends on your specific goals, risk tolerance, ...
index funds a good idea?	1/24/2005
Q: i hear much of the benefits of index funds for the typical hands-off investor. however, i seem to ... A: In my opinion, index funds area great low cost solution to investing. However, the most important ...
using mutual funds to pay for retirement	1/19/2005
Q: I'm about to turn 18 and will be aquiring some extra money. I've heard that by putting $1,000 into ... A: The amount you need to put into an investment like a mutual fund to achieve retirement depends on ...
Index Funds	1/5/2005
Q: Idealy I was looking for something under $1,000. Thanks for the help. JoelHi. I'm looking for an ... A: Assuming you are looking for an S&P 500 Index fund, TD Waterhouse has a no-load fund with a $1000 ...
Mutual Funds	12/31/2004
Q: I am 21 years old and have been into investing from a young age. I currently have 3 CD's, a couple ... A: How you invest this money is dependent on your risk tolerance, specific goals, etc. With that being ...
Roth IRA	12/28/2004
Q: I worked for a company 5 years ago and had a 401K through Fidelity. I recently did a transfer to ... A: Assuming the IRA account is opened at Baron and the check Fidelity mailed to you is made payable to ...
12b-1 Fees	12/10/2004
Q: I have noticed that a number of no-load mutual funds now have 12b-1 fees. I can recall that many or ... A: Actually, this has been a hot topic of debate recently, in light of the mutual fund scandals that ...
investing	12/7/2004
Q: also i would like to know of any firms online or otherwise would manage my portfolio (such as i put ... A: There are a number of good books available that talk about the basics of investing. One of my ...
Mutual Fund Advice	11/22/2004
Q: Smith, I am 21 years and want to buy a mutual fund and continually add to it every month, perferably ... A: A 10% required rate of return is a bit ambitous, however, the stock market's long term rate of ...
index funds	9/13/2004
Q: re#2 question about IRA rollovers - would you compare the two plans via the same method you ... A: I don't know that you can place one over the other when it comes to importance. They are completely ...
Mutual Funds	8/23/2004
Q: I would like to invest $8000 that I received in a settlement for my daughter's education. I ... A: It is difficult for me to offer specific invesment advice without knowing in greater detail your ...
INVESCO Roth IRA Regulatory Actions	8/22/2004
Q: I have a Roth IRA with INVESCO. The SEC has filed a complaint, they say that INVESCO failed to ... A: I am not familiar enough with the entire complaint against Invesco, therefore, I am not in a ...
hello, thanks very much for...	8/20/2004
Q: i have a 401k at work and was interested in investing in a low-cost index fund. however, i dont have ... A: This fund will serve the purpose of indexing the S&P 500. The fact that it is called a "Commingled ...
investing & cfp	8/9/2004
Q: I currently have about 10,000 I am looking to invest in different mutual funds. I have been looking ... A: In order to prudently offer investment advice, I would need to know in greater detail your specific ...
investing	7/15/2004
Q: my boyfriend just changed jobs. he had about $1,000 in a 401k plan, but his new job doesnt have a ... A: He best option is to open and IRA Rollover and transfer the funds into this new account. Since it ...
Mutual Funds	7/3/2004
Q: I've been faithfully putting $50.00 a month in a rather agressive taxable mutual fund in the Strong ... A: The quickest way to determine your rate of return would be to total all of your contributions and ...
Financial Planning	6/13/2004
Q: I am just begining. My husband and I are 30, we have a 1 year old baby and we have little to no ... A: Unfortunately this question is too generic for me to offer much in the way of specific advice. In ...
where to put extra funds	5/29/2004
Q: We have $8000 that is coming to maturity in a money market account. We want to take that money out ... A: How you reinvest the $$ really depends on your specific financial goals, risk tolerance and your ...
mutual fund weekly tracking	5/25/2004
Q: The company that I work for has a 401k with about 200 investment options. Trying to track all of ... A: Sorry, but I am not aware of a service that will provide this bulk weekly data in the format you are ...
I was wondering about a 401k...	5/14/2004
Q: I was wondering about a 401k and taxes If you are retired and living off your 401k alone is it ... A: I apologize for the delayed response. I was out of town at a conference and apparantly forgot to set ...
mutual funds	4/21/2004
Q: Can you describe the two categories (classifications) of expenses and provide some examples of types ... A: Im not sure I completely understand your question, but here is what I hope will help. Mutual funds ...
MutualFunds	4/21/2004
Q: Can you describe the tax regulations of mutual funds that allow them to be treated as a pass through ... A: Mutual funds by law are required to pass along to the shareholders 90% (maybe 85%) of their gains, ...
Can you create a fictiocious...	4/20/2004
Q: Can you create a fictiocious mutual fund account starting with a 10,000 dollar balance. Invest these ... A: Are you asking if "I" can do this for you, or if it is possible to do? If you are wondering if I ...
Hi Thanks first of all for...	4/14/2004
Q: I have a 401k plan at work that has a limited amount of investment choices (6 mutual funds, most of ... A: Generally speaking, even if the investments choices are less than ideal, it still makes sense to ...
diversification	4/1/2004
Q: ..I have a question about equity diversification (let forget about bonds for a minute). Everyone ... A: The question on how much to invest in each category varies based on who you talk to. Everyone has ...
Buy stock now?	3/25/2004
Q: "I keep reading that this is not a good time to get into stock, but these statements never seem to ... A: In my opinion, trying to time the stock market is an impossible thing to consistently do accurately, ...
My father in laws annuity	3/13/2004
Q: My father in law is 83. He has an annuity which he never took anything out of until this past year ... A: When $$ are taken out of an annuity, a portion of this withdrawal is considered a return of premium ...
3-year investment	3/11/2004
Q: I am looking to put my money in something for three years (about $10k right now from a money ... A: I agree completely with your line of thinking. A combination of CD's and a short term bond fund ...
Child savings and investing	3/6/2004
Q: My 10 year old son has made it a point to save most if not all of the money he usually receives. I ... A: Cudos to your 10 year old for saving! The term "safe" and "high return" are a bit contradictory in ...
Investments - Mutual Funds etc	3/2/2004
Q: Investments - Mutual Funds etc --- Hi. I have just read that it is best to invest money in something ... A: I agree with the concept of mutual funds, but not for the exact reasons you mentioned. A mutual ...
Transfer of pension?	2/22/2004
Q: I have a frozen company pension which is final salary based (a UK pension by the way). Basically a ... A: Since I am based in the US, I am not very familiar with UK based pension plans. However, if indeed ...
investments	2/14/2004
Q: I am a small business owner. I do like to invest for the future. We have some stocks, and some ... A: Unfortunately, making profits for the short term is something I do not attempt to dabble in. In my ...
follow up question	2/10/2004
Q: I asked you a question the other day about Vanguard S & P 500 Index Mutual Fund. I asked that ... A: Her comment was based on the fact that over long periods of time, the stock market as a whole ...
Mutual Fund New buys	2/10/2004
Q: I was wondering if you know of anywhere that I could find (for free) mutual fund new buys and that ... A: Besides the information mutual fund companies are required to to make publically available for free, ...
mutual funds	2/9/2004
Q: I have heard alot about the Vanguard S & P 500 Index Mutual Fund. Do you know anything about that? ... A: The Vanguard S&P 500 Index fund is a mutual fund that buys shares of all the companies that make up ...
401k	2/9/2004
Q: I am 25 years old and am allocating 5% of my income to my company's 401k. Presently, the money ... A: The first question to ask is will you be borrowing the $$ from the 401k with the intention of paying ...
New to Mutual Funds	2/6/2004
Q: I have a few questions for you. I am new to the game and I want to start investing into a Roth IRA. ... A: For diversification reasons, ideally, it is good to invest in a few different funds that cover ...
Choosing a fund	1/15/2004
Q: I understand that you would normally need a lot more information than I can give you here to direct ... A: I would like to start by first mentioning that I agree with your comment about bonds not being a ...
mutual fund gifting	1/12/2004
Q: Can I gift up to $11,000 worth of currently held mutual fund shares to one of my children without ... A: Yes, cuurent law allows for the gifting of $11,000 ($22,000 with spousal consent) to any number of ...
Investing	1/11/2004
Q: Smith, I would love to learn how to analyze companies, pick stocks, funds, annuities, etc., and ... A: In my opinion, the CFP (Certified Financial Planner) designation will carry the most weight and be ...
Hello, Thank you very much...	12/6/2003
Q: I am trying to find out if there are any sources on the internet that give TRAILING P/E ratios for ... A: The only other resource I am familiar with that may show trailing P/E is Value Line or Bloomberg. ...
hello thank you first of...	9/27/2003
Q: i recently heard a financial radio talk show host recommend to his listeners that they look into ... A: The Rydex Juno fund is a "bear market" fund and is designed to perform well when the stock market is ...
switching	8/9/2003
Q: I would like to switch my grandson's investment portfolio. He is 15 years old so I am looking at am ... A: I am not sure if you can purchase Vanguard funds through your bank. My hunch is you cannot, but you ...
How many US funds are there?	7/8/2003
Q: I realize that the answer to this will, of necessity, be an off-the-top-of-the head guestimate, but ... A: Do you mean mutual funds? If so, Morningstar, a top provider of mutual fund research information, ...
Thank you, first of all,...	6/15/2003
Q: first of all, for taking my question. I have a few mutual funds with my bank's brokerage in both ... A: Yes, if you open the appropriate accounts at Vanguard, they can provide you with the necessary ...
total expense ratios and total returns	6/8/2003
Q: first of all, for taking my question. I'm fairly new to the mutual fund investment world and sort ... A: The total return of a mutual fund is the change in NAV price, plus any adjustment for interest and ...
Trends	4/18/2003
Q: Please explain where SECTOR ROTATION is today. Where are the BIG investors (pensions, etc) putting ... A: This question is much easier to ask than to answer. You are right in saying IF you know the trend ...
mutual funds	4/9/2003
Q: i am a student,i know nothing about mutual funds, could u please explain what are these, thank u ... A: Regarding your question, instead of me providing and in depth typed answer, I would suggest you ...
Investment during retirement	3/26/2003
Q: I am retired and my only income, except a little Social Security, is from my IRRA with a large ... A: Regarding your question, I have cut and pasted a recent article from the Journal of Financial ...
Major Holding in 401k	3/5/2003
Q: I have about 1/2 of my 401k in PFG. As I recently left employment, am contemplating using another ... A: I would not recommend holding any one stock as a core holding and since it is impossible to predict ...
FMV date of death info	2/11/2003
Q: Do you know where one could find the price of a mutual fund from 1-5 years ago? I am preparing the ... A: If you got to www.yahoo.finance.com, there is an area where you can pull up historical prices for ...
Investing Questions	2/9/2003
Q: Smith I am 24, a recent college grad, somewhat new to investing... and have around $5000 to invest ... A: For long term investing, I think now is as good of a time as any to start/continue investing. By ...
Hello Thank you first of...	1/31/2003
Q: I have a general question which I have not been able to find an answer for about bond mutual fund ... A: Assuming interest rates do go up, which is inevitable, it is almost certain that the NAV of your ...

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