Investment Research - The Dalbar Study

Very few people, even professionals, have heard of the Dalbar Study that originated in 1995. Its purpose is to determine the profitability of trading for the small investor of mutual funds. Their results are even worse than I thought.

The BuyNHolders will love the results as it "proves" that buying and holding is better than trying to switch to so-called "hot" funds. My readers know I think that mindless buy and hold is a guaranteed loser - and I can prove it.

During the greatest bull market of all time from 1984 to December 2002 the study came up with an annualized return of 2.57% compared to 12.22% for those who bought and held an S&P500 index fund. These dummies did not even keep up with inflation. The reason was they were switching from fund to fund after it had made its major move and they had no exit strategy if it did not make money.

I would guess it that they paid commissions which immediately put them in the hole. My recommendation is never to buy anything except a no-load mutual fund that does not have a redemption fee.

They also did not have a method to buy a fund with an excellent performance, but also had no plan as to when to sell. Every successful professional trader will tell you that you must have an exit plan as soon as any purchase is made. During any bull market there will be rotations among sectors. During periods of time, usually about 6 to 10 months, a particular sector will outperform all the others. For example, Asian funds might do well for 6 months and then fade, internet funds will do well for 10 months and then telecommunications will take the lead, and so forth.

A sector will do well and as more and more people find out about it the value of the stocks within that sector run to their valuation peak and go no further. That sector runs sideways or starts to fade.

Very few investors realize that mutual funds will only make money during a long term bull market. That bull ended in 2000. Going back in history as far as you want to you will find that every bull market has been followed by a bear market of equal length. During these bear periods there will be short-term opportunities to buy, but they must be held for only brief periods. The key to these is learning to time the market and pick the strongest sector funds. You can learn to do it on your own or subscribe to a proven timing service.

To me the Dalbar Study has proven that you (not your broker or financial planner) must learn market basics if you plan to profit from the stock market.

Al Thomas' book, "If It Doesn't Go Up, Don't Buy It!" has helped thousands of people make money and keep their profits with his simple 2-step method. Read the first chapter at http://www.mutualfundmagic.com and discover why he's the man that Wall Street does not want you to know.

Copyright 2005

http://www.mutualfundmagic.com; 1-888-345-7870

shuttle to Midway Beardstown .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare
In The News:

Kurt the CyberGuy breaks down whether it’s better to remove your personal information from the web yourself or use a data removal service.
Google’s scam detection features, powered by artificial intelligence, are a significant step forward in safeguarding Android users from fraud.
The FBI has issued a warning that scammers are impersonating doctors, police and banks using spoofed numbers as "smishing" texts surge nationwide.
Communities with unreliable internet service stand to gain after Amazon's Project Kuiper launched its first full batch of satellites into orbit April 28.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says unsubscribing from spam might actually backfire. Learn when to avoid it and stop junk effectively.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about how the first nonstop beating heart transplant, called zero ischemic time, at Taiwan hospital changes surgery.
Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson: FBI warns of "time-traveling" hackers.
Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about a soft, vine-like robot called SPROUT that aids safe survivor rescues in collapsed buildings.
Health insurance giant Blue Shield of California confirmed it had been sharing private health data of 4.7 million users with Google for three years without even realizing it.
Delta and JetZero’s blended wing body aircraft marks a meaningful step toward a cleaner, quieter and more efficient future for air travel.
Recent reports show many common passwords can be cracked in literally seconds. Kurt the CyberGuy explains how to strengthen your passwords.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Iron, a robot that stands 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs 154 pounds, combines advanced artificial intelligence with human-like movement and exceptional vision.
Hertz, the rental car giant, recently confirmed that customer information was exposed through a cyberattack on one of its software vendors.
There are a number of features with AirPods you may or may not know about to take your listening experience to the next level. Kurt the CyberGuy explains.
These 35 Chrome extensions have privacy and security concerns. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says to delete them now.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says 329,000 mph fusion rocket promises to be fast, disruptive and enable deep-space missions.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says a new autonomous AI is a game changer that also raises privacy risks. Is your data safe?
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says robots and drones are revolutionizing fruit farming with faster picking and smarter handling.
Landmark Admin revises May 2024 cyberattack scope to show twice as many people were affected. Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson gives tips to help stay safe from an insurance data breach.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about how Yamaha’s hydrogen outboard motor could revolutionize boating with zero emissions.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals how to memorialize or remove a deceased loved one’s Facebook account and protect their digital legacy from misuse or scams.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says an Apple Watch saved psychiatrist Amanda Faulkner by detecting deadly leukemia early.
Scammers and fraudsters are increasingly targeting the most vulnerable, especially nursing homes and the personal data of their residents. Kurt the CyberGuy has safety tips.

Valuation

Every day I hear from the "experts" on CNBC-TV and... Read More

Trading Systems

To become a successful trader you must have some kind... Read More

What is Involved in Peak Performance Trading?

There is so much involved in developing peak performance, that... Read More

Complacency Indicator

If you haven't heard of the technical indicator with the... Read More

Evaluation II

As I said in Part I everyone in the insane... Read More

Dividend Reinvestment Plans: Investing on Automatic Pilot

If you're like many investors who squander those small dividend... Read More

Stock Trading Success

The ABC's of Stock Trading SuccessStock trading success...why is it... Read More

My Stock - Right or Wrong

We all know the expression, "My country, right or wrong",... Read More

Patterns

The Law of Chaos is the theory of random unpredictable... Read More

Dividends

When is a dividend not a dividend?The latest thing "conservative"... Read More

Trading as a Business

What can I expect to make my first year of... Read More

Financial Crime

Congress recently passed another new law that is supposed to... Read More

The Information Age

It is wonderful to be alive in the information age.... Read More

Dont Fight The Fed

One of the great truisms of Wall Street is "Don't... Read More

Stocks Options Trading

Let's assume that you want to make some serious money... Read More

Its A Duck

If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck... Read More

Picking Mutual Funds to Outperform the Market

With over 6,000 mutual funds available, it may be tempting... Read More

The Stock Market Investor?s Worst Enemy

Every stock market investor faces one primal enemy. An enemy... Read More

Protectionism

First let's see what protectionism is. According to Mr. Webster... Read More

Stock Market Investments

If there is one term over-used when talking about making... Read More

Buy and Hold Investment Philosophy

Wall Street has been preaching the doctrine of Buy and... Read More

Inverted Interest Rates

Inverted interest rates? What's that? Who cares? Even if you... Read More

Trading Tips No 6: The High Cost of Low Cost Stock Market Information

It has been said that low cost or even free... Read More

The Great Stock Market Secret

When the stock market is going up and all your... Read More

Smart Day Trading Strategies to Help You Make Money in the Stock Market

Stock trading can be a very profitable activity. You can... Read More

Green Bay Hummer H2 SUV rentals ..