Articles: Investing Basics


Why invest so much in international funds?
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February 15, 2003
We are often asked why we recommend investors keep half their equities in international funds. But we never hear that question from readers who took this article to heart when it was last updated in 2003.

Breaking the bond barrier: A better future for fixed-income investors
User Rating: / 7
December 20, 1999

Sometimes conservative investors, those who feel right at home investing in CDs, money-market funds and bond funds, seem to get no respect. Some of them shake their heads in wonder at the popularity of aggressive equity investments that can bring hefty short-term returns, along with gut-wrenching volatility.

Your annual investment checkup
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January 09, 2004

Regular readers of this newsletter know I believe in discipline, and one of the most productive practices I follow every year is listing ways I can make myself a better investor and make my money work harder for me and my family.

Your broker might not really be your friend
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December 19, 2003

Government regulators have uncovered a giant mutual fund scandal in which millions of investors have lost millions of dollars. But investors lose much more money than this every year at the hands of people they trust to give them financial advice. This article tells why those losses occur and how investors can avoid or minimize them.

How to manage the most important risks of investing
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September 14, 2006
Investing is about taking risks, and when you do that, you're entitled to expect a return commensurate with the level of risk you take. But if you're not careful, your own mistakes can prevent you from achieving the returns that should be yours. In this article, Paul Merriman tells you how to deal with 12 major risks investors face.
 
Why you should care how your financial advisor makes money
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June 28, 2005

Perhaps the financial advice you are getting is free. It may be from reading Money, Smart Money or Kiplinger’s Personal Finance. It may be from watching television shows, attending a workshop or talking to someone you know who is experienced at investing. However, if you are led astray by the advice you get without paying, "free" could turn out to be very expensive.

Compassionate capitalism: socially screened funds
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February 22, 2003

If you’re a typical investor, you own at least a few individual stocks. If you work for a public company, you probably own some stock in it.

Should you hire a professional advisor?
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February 22, 2003

This article is written with do-it-yourself (DIY) investors in mind. For nearly 20 years, we’ve done our best in our articles to give readers the knowledge they need to make the right decisions on their own, without paying professionals for unnecessary advice and hand-holding.

Fixed-income diversification: Adding high-yield funds
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June 17, 2002

Most investors understand the benefits of diversification in equity funds. Stick with only one fund and one style of investing long enough, and you’re almost sure to regret it. Diversify properly, and your returns will be better and your risk lower.

Who needs mutual funds?
User Rating: / 1
December 13, 1998

Several of my friends have taken pity on me. They know that I have been an advocate of mutual fund investing for more than 25 years and that I have been writing a mutual fund investment advisory letter for more than 15 years. "What a shame," they tell me. "Spending all those years pushing an investment vehicle that doesn’t produce very good results."

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