Mutual Funds – Investing in Funds

While we all wish we could be Warren Buffet, the truth is that most investors are best served just parking their money in a mutual fund or ETF. What is the difference between these two types of investment options and which one is for you?

Both mutual funds and ETFs allow the investor to achieve diversification. Each invests in a basket of stocks, so the investor generally does not have to worry that one individual stock will radically alter his or her returns. Both also give the investor the choice of investing in a certain sector, if he thinks a sector will perform well. For example, there are mutual funds and ETFs that focus just on technology, and there are also broader mutual funds and ETFs that focus on the market as a whole (if you want maximum diversification).

The key difference between mutual funds and ETFs are that mutual funds are actively managed, whereas ETFs are passively managed. What does this mean? Basically, mutual funds have a manager that chooses which individual stocks to buy and sell. He will actively choose generally 50-300 stocks in which to invest. In contrast, an ETF will just invest in the stocks that correspond to an index.

For example, the ETF Diamonds (DIA) seeks to track the Dow Jones index. The ETF’s performance will almost exactly mirror how well the Dow Jones index does. So if the Dow Jones goes up 9% in a year, DIA will go up about 9% as well. In contrast, a blue chip mutual fund will also invest in blue chip stocks, like the ones that make up the Dow Jones index, though it may choose to invest in only some of the stocks in the Dow Jones as well as other blue chip stocks that are not in the Dow Jones. Thus, while the Dow Jones may go up 9% in a year, a blue chip mutual fund could have a vastly different return. It might lose 2% or it might gain 15%; it just depends on the luck and the skill of the mutual fund manager.

As you can see, the key difference is how they are managed. But which one is better? Well, it depends. Since there are more decisions and more effort involved in a mutual fund, these charge higher fees than ETFs. These fees may be worth it though if the mutual fund can outperform its index peers. If the mutual fund has returns similar to an index or worse, than the ETF will be better.

Investing in ETFs are a little easier than a mutual fund. As you can see, with an ETF, you are at least guaranteed to meet the index. With a mutual fund, you could do better or you could do much worse. One tip, more than any other, is to make sure you do not pay too high of expense fees with a mutual fund. If your mutual fund is ripping you off, you certainly will underperform the market!

The author writes for a stock investing tips website as well as a mutual funds advice website.

Article Source: articlestreet

Mutual funds are a traditional component of most investors portfolios, but exchanged traded funds, or ETFs, have been gaining popularity over the past decade as well. In recent years, more investors, brokers, and financial advisors have been using ETFs, and they have been included in many company retirement plans. The security, as well as the traditional aspect of mutual funds, and their stable reputation, however, still carry a wide appeal for many investors. This article can help you determine which type of fund is best for you and your investment options.

Like traditional mutual funds, ETFs contain many securities, or stocks and bonds. The difference between these and mutual funds lies chiefly in the way that investors can buy and sell shares, since when ETF investors wish to redeem their fund shares, they are required to trade with other market investors, and this requires the use of a broker who can help you decide which option is a better fit.

Exchange traded funds are both priced and traded on an exchange, either, the American Stock Exchange, the New York Stock Exchange, or the Nasdaq, throughout the course of the business day in the same manner as stocks. Traditional mutual fund prices are set once a day, and investors are required to place their orders before a certain time in order to get the price of the day. With ETFs, unlike mutual funds you can use these funds the same way that you would a share of stock, including setting market and limit orders, buying on margin, and shorting.

Since ETFs must be traded with other market participants, ETFs generally have two prices the net value, or NAV, which is determined on a daily basis based on the ending value of both its portfolio and accrued expenses, and its share price, which is determined by the ETFs supply and demand profile in the market.

Although ETFs are not immune from taxes, the good news is that they are structured to enable investors to shield themselves from capital gains better than they would with conventional funds. Since ETFs are index funds, they typically trade at a lower value than most actively managed funds and in most cases, should generate fewer capital gains. And since most investors frequently buy and sell shares of ETFs with other investors, the ETF manager does not have to worry about selling holdings, which can trigger capital gains, in order to meet investor redemptions.

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Article Source: articlestreet