You may have wondered why your mutual funds have been going down for the past 2 years. The answer is very simple, but not one you will hear from Wall Street as they want you to send money.
In order for stock mutual funds to go up you must have a bull market. Unfortunately, that bull ended 2 years ago and is probably not going to return for a long time. Yes, there will be short-term rallies that can last from weeks to months, but the downward spiral will continue. For the past 100 years the Price/Earnings ratio of the S&P500 index has a mean average of about 15. With the current P/E running about 41 the rubber band has been stretched too far and is now contracting toward a more realistic level. It will take a time, probably several years, for a true bottom to be reached.
Mutual fund charters require the fund manager to be fully invested at all times. The fund may be required to be invested in tech stocks, pharmaceuticals, automotive, Asia or some other specific category. If that particular sector is weak and almost all stocks therein are headed down the fund manager has nothing to buy and is not allowed to sell to put the money in cash or bonds to protect the investors. Some are allowed to buy and sell what they wish; others must invest in stocks of a particular index such as the Dow Jones, S&P 500 or the Nasdaq. Most of the fund managers today are too young to have experienced a bear market and do not know how or what to do.
The small investor today has been taught to believe that the stock market always goes up. From 1982 to 2000 it did, but that was the end. All the talking heads on radio and TV have been telling you to buy the breaks and that the market always comes back - except when it doesn't. Almost none of them has ever seen or even studied a major bear market. The last one was 1973-74 just about the time most of these guys were in grade school or high school. They haven't a clue and don't know when or how to sell.
Today there are trillions of dollars in 401Ks, IRAs, pension plans, etc. run by professional fund managers, financial planners, bankers, etc. who have no idea how to protect their investors. More trillions are getting ready to go down the drain. Last year 90% of stock mutual funds lost money. The Grim Reaper is now the manager of your mutual fund.
For the little guy, that's you, there is only one way to protect your money. If you are in one of those plans you can tell them you want to have your funds in a money market account. At least it won't go down. If there are any fixed income or bond funds available to your account that is another safe venue.
Mutual funds are no longer a good long-term investment. The age of the stock mutual fund is over. Dead. Don't let your hard-earned money get away.
Al Thomas' best selling 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 to receive his market letter for 3 months at www.mutualfundmagic.com to discover why he's the man that Wall Street does not want you to know.
Comments to al@mutualfundmagic.com
Copyright Albert W. Thomas All rights reserved.
custom home cleaning Wilmette ..TOO OFTEN, INVESTORS SIMPLY CHOOSE TO follow the crowd. This... Read More
Mutual funds are doing more and more to discourage investors... Read More
When we go to the circus we see a trapeze... Read More
Stock trading remains a very competitive field and the stock... Read More
All stock trading and investing methods must deal with the... Read More
I receive emails from Morningstar. This company provides statistics and... Read More
Outlined below are some of the advantages and disadvantages of... Read More
Profitable day traders recognize that momentum trading is among the... Read More
This is the continuing story of our two imaginary traders,... Read More
After some forty years of banking and investments, I retired... Read More
There are many good penny stock investments available, which could... Read More
Mutual funds by definition are a mixed bag of stocks,... Read More
The fight continues to rage among traders who use technical... Read More
(1) Stock Market is Tough Place to Make Any Money... Read More
There are many important things you need to know to... Read More
Yesterday I received my monthly issue of MONEY magazine. This... Read More
It seems that every day I turn on the TV... Read More
Someday you may want to retire and continue to live... Read More
Stocks breakout from properly formed bases everyday but many investors... Read More
Economists know more about how the fragments of society work... Read More
Any online investor / trader seeks an excellent off or... Read More
When an individual investor wants to roll up his sleeves... Read More
Investors who exclusively use broadly diversified, no load mutual funds... Read More
One of the great "secrets" of successful people is discipline... Read More
The Macedonian Stock Exchange (MSE) is not operating successfully. True,... Read More
same day cleaning service Morton Grove ..Every day I hear someone on CNBC proclaim that "this... Read More
To begin, you might look at playing the stock market... Read More
The stock market has been going up for more than... Read More
The Surgeon General of the United States says that smoking... Read More
Every year I go to the Money Show in Orlando,... Read More
As I have said many times before in this column... Read More
It is wonderful to be alive in the information age.... Read More
On November 17 I bought 7 different mutual funds and... Read More
In 1960 an engineer working for a watch company in... Read More
Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are a group of passive index... Read More
With over 6,000 mutual funds available, it may be tempting... Read More
There is nothing more exciting than finding an undervalued stock... Read More
The thinking process of the brain relating to the... Read More
"If you don't know where you are going, any road... Read More
If you don't know where you are going any road... Read More
Now that you have some money burning a hole in... Read More
Let's say you are interested in this one company. You... Read More
04/28/2005NASDAQ dropped -12.5% year to date in 2005. S&P500 index... Read More
Yesterday I received my monthly issue of MONEY magazine. This... Read More
The ABC's of Stock Trading SuccessStock trading success...why is it... Read More
Are hedge funds a suitable investment for you? Hedge funds... Read More
If you go to Haiti or other places in the... Read More
Every day in any financial publication you will find the... Read More
1. Do not spread your money too thin.My friend has... Read More
THERE'S SOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR standing firm in the... Read More
Stocks & Mutual Fund |