Tag Archive for Vanguard 500 Index Fund Investor Shares

What are Mutual Funds and How Do I Invest in Them?

July 18, 2012 / / 12 comments

What holds you back from investing? Is it stocks? Do they scare you to death? If they do, I really don’t blame you. All the “ifs” in the beginning can be overwhelming! Which ones do I pick? Where will I find the right stock metrics and information to tell me? Why do they keep bouncing around in price? How long until I have a heart-attack?

Would you prefer a way to “stick your toe in the water” and not have to deal with such wild fluctuations? If so, then let me introduce you to the world of mutual funds. “What are mutual funds” you ask? Well, for starters, they are where I started when I first invested – long before I ever bought my first shares of individual stock. But even today, after everything else I’ve learned, mutual funds still play a very important role in my investment strategy. Here is your introduction into the world of mutual funds …

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Category: Stocks & Investing / Tags: , , , ,

How to Pick Good Mutual Funds for Your 401k or Retirement Plan

April 23, 2012 / / 29 comments

Let me see if I can describe how your employer 401k (or 403b, etc) retirement plan orientation went:

• You all walked into a meeting.

• An HR administrator handed you a folder chucked full of loose documents.

• You were released with little direction and told to bring the papers back all filled in.

Am I close?

It’s pretty sad that something so important to our livelihoods later on in life is treated as another routine task. There are many things that should be explained to you when you sign up for your 401k (click here for my complete guide on this topic).

But if there’s one thing where people REALLY need help, it’s deciding which mutual funds to pick for their plan. Past returns? Large cap / small cap? Expense ratios? What does all this stuff mean?

In the MyMoneyDesign household, we have both a 401k and 403b. So let me use what I’ve learned to help steer you towards making the best choices you can make.

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Category: Retirement / Tags: , , , , , , , ,