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Mutual Funds/Questions Answered by Expert John D Smith, CFP
| Subject | Date Asked |
| expense ratio | 12/1/2011 |
| 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 ... | |
| Annual Returns | 11/5/2011 |
| 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 spouse | 10/20/2011 |
| 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 interest | 10/19/2011 |
| 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 Funds | 7/8/2011 |
| 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 retiremrnt | 6/22/2011 |
| 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 house | 6/7/2011 |
| 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 Group | 5/26/2011 |
| 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 Group | 5/25/2011 |
| 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 ... | |
| immediate access without withdrawal penalties | 4/23/2011 |
| 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 ... | |
| Cost Basis on Mutual Fund Shares | 3/31/2011 |
| 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 ... | |
| Joint Mutual Fund account | 2/23/2011 |
| 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 funds | 1/30/2011 |
| 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 ... | |
| YTD Return | 12/8/2010 |
| 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 ... | |
| Exchange Traded Funds & Mutual Funds | 11/22/2010 |
| 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 Funds | 11/22/2010 |
| 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 Funds | 11/21/2010 |
| 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 ... | |
| licencing | 11/13/2010 |
| 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 Mix | 11/6/2010 |
| 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 ... | |
| Re: How Index Fund company make money ? | 8/19/2010 |
| Q: I recently purchase an index fund locally but when I check and call the bank, the bank officer ... A: It is a bit different than this in that mutual funds can only be purcahsed at the closing price of ... | |
| Percent of Paycheck to put in 401k | 8/12/2010 |
| Q: Mr. Smith Can you tell me what percent of my income should go to my 401k? I know more is better but ... A: Unfortunately this is a difficult question to answer since each person has unique financial goals. ... | |
| Rating Mutual Funds | 8/11/2010 |
| Q: Is a mutual fund with a beta of 1.11 a R squared of 0.97 and a standard deviation of 23.12 a good ... A: It is hard to gauge whether or not a mutual fund is a good investment based solely on these factors. ... | |
| One Fund & Multiple Fund Investing | 7/5/2010 |
| Q: Is it better to invest in several mutual funds for diversification or to invest in one mutual fund ... A: The answer to your question depends on seceral factors, one of the biggest being who makes the ... | |
| Hidden Account Fees | 6/21/2010 |
| Q: I recently became aware of fees that are charged to people who have 401 (k) plans from their places ... A: When you read about "hidden fees" what you are more than likely referring to are fees that are ... | |
| international fund | 5/17/2010 |
| Q: i have money put in the international fund but right now its losing money since the greece economic ... A: Yes, I believe international investments will be good performers in the future. The challenging ... | |
| Mortgage Options? | 5/13/2010 |
| Q: I was just pre-approved for a brand new condo for $175K. I have to decide very soon what type of ... A: Glad to help any way I can and I appreciate your understanding me not being able to give an exact ... | |
| Your opinion | 5/11/2010 |
| Q: John. If you wanted to join a network marketing venture and the company's product you were selling ... A: I can't quite connect your question to a financial apsect so if I am missing something in my answer, ... | |
| Mortgage Options? | 5/10/2010 |
| Q: I was just pre-approved for a brand new condo for $175K. I have to decide very soon what type of ... A: I saw your comment and appreciate your understanding of me being gun shy in answering your question. ... | |
| Interest effect on gnma's | 2/16/2010 |
| Q: I know the relationship between gnmas and interest rates and the duration factor. My question is, ... A: There isn't a rule of thumb in regards to recovery as receovery is based on a host of factors that ... | |
| funds parking | 2/10/2010 |
| Q: We are in our mid-50s, both working. I have an IRA plan at work, my wife has a 401(K). I am managing ... A: When analyzing interest rate sensitivity you need to look at duration vs avg maturity. The duration ... | |
| funds parking | 2/9/2010 |
| Q: We are in our mid-50s, both working. I have an IRA plan at work, my wife has a 401(K). I am managing ... A: Generally speaking, I feel that short term high quality bond funds such as MINT, BSV and CSJ are ... | |
| INTEREST RATES | 1/15/2010 |
| Q: Do you feel secure or safe that interest rates will stay where they are OR close for the next 6-12 ... A: The general consensus is that the Fed will not raise rates materially in 2010. Some are calling for ... | |
| investment question | 12/18/2009 |
| Q: 1) My brother took over the handling of the company funds when dad passed recently after a four year ... A: In regards to question #1, the best way to understand his motive for retiring and the compensation ... | |
| High Yield Investment Program | 12/15/2009 |
| Q: i want to invest small amount of money($ 100) at 5-6 HYIP's promising 1,5-2 % daily profit, i ... A: In my opinion, if it sounds too good to be true it probably is. You cannot expect to earn the types ... | |
| joint mutual | 11/19/2009 |
| Q: I own a mutual fund with my brothers (two). I have been paying the taxes for these funds for about ... A: This is a tricky situation as it appears your social security # is the first and main one listed on ... | |
| YTD Return vs. Yield? | 10/7/2009 |
| Q: In the daily Yahoo stock and mutual funds closing report, I receive two figures--year-to-date return ... A: Yield is the amount of income being paid whereas total return is a combination of income being paid ... | |
| brat@arctic.net | 9/29/2009 |
| Q: What types of mutual funds perform better if interest rates increase? A: On the fixed income side, it will be shorter term instruments as there is an inverse relationship ... | |
| Total Return & Expense Ratios | 9/28/2009 |
| Q: (1) How is the total return of a mutual fund determined? (2) When is the total expense ratio of a ... A: The total return of a mutual fund is a combination of the change in the underlying share price (NAV ... | |
| Retirement | 9/26/2009 |
| Q: I'm 52 years old and need some investment ideas for my Roth IRA. Thanks so much, Vicki A: In order to offer any type of investment advice, I would need to know in some detail your specific ... | |
| 457.B and 403.B | 8/23/2009 |
| Q: Which investment company would be best for a 403.B and a 457.B and why? American General --VALIC ... A: I apologize but the best company comes down to the investment options each provides as well as the ... | |
| College Account | 7/19/2009 |
| Q: I set up a UGMA for my son, who is still 17. Account was basic mutual funds. College is starting ... A: Most brokerage firms, mutual fund companies, banks, etc, that hold UGMA accounts for investors will ... | |
| gifting one mutual fund to two children | 6/19/2009 |
| Q: I plan to gift a mutual fund worth about $11000 to my two children equally. How would I go about ... A: In order to gift the mutual fund you would need to open an investment account for each of them and ... | |
| long term invest | 5/19/2009 |
| Q: I am 27 yrs old and am allocating 20% ($400) of my income to my company's 401k. Also I am constantly ... A: First of all, let me extend a congrats to your diligence in saving at a young age. If you can keep ... | |
| 401 (k) Plan & IRA Fees | 5/4/2009 |
| Q: I recently became aware of the fees that are charged to people who have 401 (k) plans from their ... A: Depending on where you hold your IRA, these fees can vary. The basic fees in most instances is the ... | |
| Mutual fund question | 4/29/2009 |
| Q: Could you please tell me about the process of setting up a mutual fund. A: I am assuming you mean investing in a mutual fund? If so, then the process can happen one of 2 ... | |
| BONDS in a tax shelter account | 4/22/2009 |
| Q: THROUGH READING OF VARIOUS WORTHWHILE BOOKS LIKE THE ONES WRITTEN BY JOHN BOGLE AND WILLIAM ... A: I can relate to what you are saying and hope the following comments are helpful. I am very familiar ... | |
| BONDS in a tax shelter account | 4/17/2009 |
| Q: THROUGH READING OF VARIOUS WORTHWHILE BOOKS LIKE THE ONES WRITTEN BY JOHN BOGLE AND WILLIAM ... A: In regards to your questions; if you go to http://www.treasurydirect.gov you can obtain information ... | |
| BONDS in a tax shelter account | 4/16/2009 |
| Q: THROUGH READING OF VARIOUS WORTHWHILE BOOKS LIKE THE ONES WRITTEN BY JOHN BOGLE AND WILLIAM ... A: First, let me comment by saying I agree with the thoughts you are sharing in regards to placing ... | |
| stocks inside of a mutual fund | 4/14/2009 |
| Q: Is there any way to find out what stocks a mutual fund holds? A: Yes, reporting agencies such as Morningstar and Lipper have this data and supply some of it free of ... | |
| Investing for retirement | 3/3/2009 |
| Q: I am 30 years old and want to open a Roth IRA. I only have about $2000 to $4000 to invest per year. ... A: How you should invest is dependent on your specific goals and risk tolerance. In regards to the ... | |
| first time invester | 2/16/2009 |
| Q: After i complete my military deployment, i will have saved between $20-25,000. I have no debt of my ... A: The best way to invest is based on specifics about your situation and what you are trying to ... | |
| dividends | 1/24/2009 |
| Q: I have asked for any dividends to be sent in a money market in lieu of being reinvested from my 3 ... A: They are in a better position to answer this question than I am. If your investments are at 3 ... | |
| Mutual Fund investment requirements | 1/18/2009 |
| Q: What percentage of an equity mutual fund's assets must be invested at any one time? When the ... A: Mutual funds have the discretion to invest the fund $$ in whatever fashion they want as long as it ... | |
| Confussed young investor | 1/9/2009 |
| Q: I have been searching for investment for the past 2 weeks, i got a little abuut how the game is but ... A: A mutual fund can be purchase the same way as stocks and the return of the mutual fund is dependent ... | |
| Commodity futures options | 11/12/2008 |
| Q: When oil was selling for $120/barrel, a friend of mine who used to be a commodities broker suggested ... A: It depends on the price of each put option contract which cannot be determined based on any ... | |
| Commodity futures options | 11/12/2008 |
| Q: When oil was selling for $120/barrel, a friend of mine who used to be a commodities broker suggested ... A: The return you would have received is based on the number of put options you purchase. In order to ... | |
| mutual fund | 11/6/2008 |
| Q: i recently put in about $5,000 in a mutual fund about 5 months ago, and although the economy isn't ... A: The answer to this question depends on your investment time horizon and tolerance for risk. ... | |
| c shares | 11/4/2008 |
| Q: john good morning.my wife and i are a fixed income ss and disabilty income.we have 50g to invest are ... A: C shares references a class of mutual fund and the specific way the expenes are charged. The safety ... | |
| mutual fund advice | 11/3/2008 |
| Q: Our financial advisor is with Smith Barney. Up till recently I have trusted him implicitly, but ... A: The real question is whether or not you should be investing in a high yield bond fund, which ... | |
| mutual fund advice | 11/2/2008 |
| Q: Our financial advisor is with Smith Barney. Up till recently I have trusted him implicitly, but ... A: In regards to your question, the right type of investment for you is dependent on your specific ... | |
| Cash Management-A TOD | 10/31/2008 |
| Q: I've invested $50 a month in a First Investors Cash Management- A Type TOD mutual fund for about 2 ... A: If you liquidate the account, you will owe taxes in the difference between what you have contributed ... | |
| IRA question | 10/29/2008 |
| Q: With the market taking a dive we are watching the investments in our IRA dwindle. Rather than watch ... A: If you want to take your money out of the market then you simply need to sell your investments and ... | |
| Inherited Mutual Funds | 10/19/2008 |
| Q: Upon the passing of my mother I will be inheriting 16% of hre Mutual Fund Account. I do not want to ... A: More than likely, the firm who holds the current mutual funds will need to split this account up and ... | |
| Making the Most of the Dow | 10/15/2008 |
| Q: If the Dow declines much further, I'm contemplating trying to cash in on its eventual return to ... A: Although there has been some recent issues with spreads between the bid and ask prices of ETF's for ... | |
| Making the Most of the Dow | 10/15/2008 |
| Q: If the Dow declines much further, I'm contemplating trying to cash in on its eventual return to ... A: I feel an index fund such as Vanguard 500 or Total Stock market is a great way to do this. If you ... | |
| storing surplus | 10/13/2008 |
| Q: Few years ago I told you I am holding about 80& of my 1 mil portfolio in premium, high rated, long ... A: I recall some of our past conversations. In regards to your question, the Vanguard Fed money market ... | |
| Roth IRA | 9/30/2008 |
| Q: I am thinking of opening an Roth IRA account, but I'm worried about how the current economic crisis ... A: The performance of the Roth IRA would be dependent o n how it is invested vs who it is invested ... | |
| Smart Money | 9/15/2008 |
| Q: I just want to be secure for the future in this economy, I know you can't become a millionaire ... A: There is no best way to save and invest that applies to everyone. The best way is dependent on your ... | |
| begginer | 9/9/2008 |
| Q: Hello mr smith and my question is im 31 years olds and i havent been saving for retirement i work ... A: The best way for you to save and invest for retirement is dependent on many unique factors specific ... | |
| mutual fund | 8/28/2008 |
| Q: i am a student,studying for Bachelor of dentistry,3rd year. i would like to invest some of my pocket ... A: Yes, if you are in mutual funds that invest in the stock market and the stock market goes down you ... | |
| investor information | 8/25/2008 |
| Q: Could you please tell me your thoughts on what information or knowledge management systems a mutual ... A: This question is a bit more complicated than you may realize. The information a mutual fund manager ... | |
| mutual fund | 8/24/2008 |
| Q: i am a student,studying for Bachelor of dentistry,3rd year. i would like to invest some of my pocket ... A: How you should invest depends on specific factors such as your investment time horizon, risk ... | |
| License requirements | 8/22/2008 |
| Q: I am a full-time worker in the construction industry but I am also active in the stock/options ... A: The legal requirements for offering investment advice are complicated and several factors impact ... | |
| 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: I am from New Zealand. I have three kids, and live on one income. It's pretty hard. I have recently ... 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 ... | |
Mutual Funds
Answers by Expert:
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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