What is the Difference Between an ETF and a Mutual Fund?

One of the investment choices that has become increasingly popular in the last few years is the exchange traded fund (ETF). ETFs and mutual funds (including index funds) share some similarities, but there are some very important differences, and these differences explain why ETFs are becoming so popular amongst traders. ETFs and mutual funds are […]

No-Load Mutual Funds vs. Load Mutual Funds

A no-load vs. load mutual fund, which is better? This was a reader question that came in through the contact form a while back. A “no-load” mutual fund is one in which the investment company sells it directly to the public. A mutual fund with a “load” is one in which the investment company sells […]

New Mutual Fund Cost Basis Rules

Beginning January 1, 2012 new regulations set forth by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will take effect. These regulations affect the way in which mutual fund companies report cost basis and gains or losses for taxable accounts. The purpose of these changes is to verify what fund companies report on their tax documents and what […]

Index Fund Investing Overview

Investing in index funds is a pretty basic investing strategy but we wanted to cover it for two reason: 1) There are many people who are not expert investors and need this information.2) Regardless of how experienced you are, this is a legitimate technique, especially for people who do not have the time or resources […]

How Do You Choose an Online Broker?

Choosing an online discount broker isn’t a simple task if you’re anything like me.  There are many companies to choose from, each of which has different strengths and weaknesses and you want to be sure to choose the best one for you.  Just like picking a bank, insurance company, mortagage lender, or other financial service company […]

Morningstar for Mutual Fund Research

Morningstar is a good place for mutual fund research that offers investors more information than simply fund performance. Morningstar is known for its unbiased reporting and analysis and it has a tremendous amount of free information available. It does have a premium service that offers fund analyst reports and portfolio analysis tools but everything we’ll talk […]

The Best Mutual Funds for Your Money

The best mutual funds is a common headline in many financial magazines, followed by a list of the top mutual funds by performance or the best mutual funds of the year.  While these lists of investments can be helpful when trying to put together a portfolio on your own; one of the biggest mistakes you can […]