Mutual funds were created with the idea that one person can specialize and manage the investments of a large pool of money from multiple investors. Before the great depression mutual funds were called investment pools and mutual fund managers were called pool operators. The bull market of the 1920's created a time of economic prosperity akin to the 1990s. The conceptualization of the pyramid scheme occurred at this time as well.
Ironically, the pyramid scheme had been debunked in 1920 when Charles Ponzi was arrested for offering investors unsustainable returns on postal certificates. The investors lost all of their money in Ponzi's elaborate con job for which his name became synonymous. He was reportedly making a killing buying the postal certificates in Europe at low price and selling them at high prices in the United States. Con jobs in general like the one perpetrated in the movie "The Sting" with Robert Redford and Paul Newman were labeled "Ponzi Schemes." The public never saw through the investment pool concept as a new form of Ponzi scheme.
Investment pools eventually became thought of as a rip-off in the mind of the public. This is because becoming a pool operator was like having a license to steal. Instead of focusing on the interests of the public who had money in the "fund" the pool operators would engage in risky investments because the money was not theirs. They would also pay themselves extremely large fees. It became very clear to the public that investment pools were a big-rip off in the aftermath of the stock market crash of 1929.
There was so much abuse by pool managers that the Security Exchange Commission (SEC) was formed in large part to stop these rip off artists. The SEC effectively shut down the more blatant con jobs. Then the securities industry came up with a fancy new name for investment pools to suck the public back in: "Mutual Funds!"
If your 401(k) provider offers an indexed mutual fund then put your money into that. An indexed mutual fund uses a stock market index such as the S&P500 to guide which stocks are bought. The biggest and oldest indexed mutual fund is the Vanguard 500 (VFINX).
A computer divvies up the cash in the fund to match the index as closely as a possible. As such, there is not fund manager to sitting on your hard earned retirement savings to rip you off in bogus fees.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr. Scott Brown, Ph.D., a.k.a. "The Wallet Doctor", is a successful futures trader, real estate investor, and stock investor. Dr. Brown holds a Ph.D. in finance from the University of South Carolina. His 1998 articles in Technical Analysis of Stocks and Commodities were prophetic in predicting an impending stock market crash. He has helped many people become profitable investors by teaching them to look out over many years to spot stocks that are low and primed for rise in the new bull market. His second article met with approval by Dr. Bob Shiller of Yale University. Dr. Shiller is the economist that Alan Greenspan most highly regards who coined the term "Irrational Exuberance." In 1998 he shouted to the world to "get out" of the stock market but now he is shouting to everyone that it is time to "get in!" The Wallet Doctor is not only sought after for investment advice and coaching in stock investing but also in futures trading and real estate investing.
Visit Dr. Brown's site at http://www.bonanzabase.com or sign up for his investment tips at http://www.bonanzabase.com
one time home cleaning Highland Park ..The bulls and bears of the stock market are both... Read More
How do you make money without picking tops and bottoms?I... Read More
I was recently interviewed for a press release through a... Read More
If you haven't heard of the technical indicator with the... Read More
You remember (they show it on TV every year) the... Read More
On Monday, November 25, 2000 Investor's Business Daily listed on... Read More
In November of 2000 when the NASDAQ was trading at... Read More
After the publication of the first part of this two... Read More
There has been great condemnation recently because China has been... Read More
With the internet such a huge part of our daily... Read More
Sometime in the third quarter of 1997, someone told me... Read More
When it comes to stock market trading it PAYS to... Read More
'Sector funds are too risky.' 'I doubled my money with... Read More
An insane person cannot evaluate an insane evaluation system.As you... Read More
Ever wondered what is a mutual fund? A mutual fund... Read More
Alfred Winslow Jones started hedge funds in 1949. He was... Read More
Every publicly traded company is required by the SEC(Securities and... Read More
I know there are a lot of you out there... Read More
What does it mean to short a stock?This means that... Read More
Let's discuss commodities; with the latest Enron situation, it is... Read More
Ever done any whitewater rafting or canoeing? Long periods of... Read More
Do you have a financial planner? Does one of your... Read More
I receive emails from Morningstar. This company provides statistics and... Read More
Wall Street's watchword has always been diversification, but what does... Read More
Investing in long-term financial vehicles give you the most gains... Read More
licensed cleaning services Park Ridge ..Ever turn down a street, get half way and suddenly... Read More
Every successful trader has a winning system. There are of... Read More
It takes a total mental commitment to the task. It... Read More
Among the largest forces that affect stock prices are inflation,... Read More
I go to the Money Show every year to visit... Read More
Ever wondered what is a mutual fund? A mutual fund... Read More
I have been trading for several decades and was an... Read More
During our travel down life's path we come to many... Read More
For the last 12 years we have seen the Japanese... Read More
Everything you invest in has risk so you want to... Read More
One of the greatest challenges of investing in stocks is... Read More
The recent criminal fiasco in the mutual fund industry is... Read More
Wall Street has been preaching for years and years to... Read More
People are always asking me when should I sell my... Read More
It depends on your level of understanding of the market... Read More
Using Swing Trading Strategies and Technical Analysis when Trading Stocks... Read More
Time to look back2004 is over, now we are in... Read More
That sounds like good advice doesn't it? Don't lose all... Read More
"There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action!" Johann... Read More
One of the great "secrets" of successful people is discipline... Read More
The higher the market goes the more confusing are the... Read More
Several times each month I am solicited by various market... Read More
The demand for world oil is increasing while world reserves... Read More
I cringe every time I hear a novice investor tell... Read More
This is an extract of an article which was first... Read More
Stocks & Mutual Fund |