What's the best mutual fund?
85855
As a long-time financial executive in the investment field, it is my opinion is that any answer you receive that cites a specific fund is wrong!  A proper answer must consider your personal situation, you investment timeframe, your tolerance for risk, etc.  My answer is that you should try and determine what fund or funds best fit your specific situation (either personally or by hiring a qualified investment specialist -- not a mutual fund sales person).  A few sources I've used in the past include (but are not limited to):\n\nhttp://moneycentral.msn.com/investor/finder/predeffunds.aspx\nhttp://www.morningstar.com/\nhttp://www.maxfunds.com/content/navigator/alphasearch.htm\nhttp://www.fundalarm.com/
618903
It depends what you mean by the best. If you like ETFs try India Fund Inc. (IFN)
175373
Morningstar is pretty good, sign up is free and you can compare lots of fund aspects. Dig deeper at yahoo finance for particular funds.
970094
The best returns come with the higher risk.   Mutual funds are usually poorer returns than you get from picking the rights stocks because someone is taking a portion of your profits to supposedly reduce your risk.  You pay for returns in risk to your investment (for stocks etc) or in frustration cost (rentals,  owning your own store etc).  \n\nRental property is my preference,  as long as your careful and check things out well (ie actually checking for places to rent to confirm comparable rental rates etc).  Over the long term it's one of the best lower risk investments you can get, but it does take your time and effort.
799285
I like American Funds because they're a solid company.  They also have several top ratings on Morningstar's list.  Please note that they have several different classes of shares which you'll have to research.\n\nhttp://screen.morningstar.com/FundResults.html\nhttp://www.americanfunds.com/funds/details.htm?r=h_c&fundNumber=20
120722
It depends on whose money it is. Some people would say the best place is call options on the NASDAQ, other would say mutual funds, others would say bonds, others would say real estate, others would say GICs.\n\nIt depends on your goals and your understanding of investments. Don't blindly trust other people for advice like this. Learn to judge for yourself.
371240
The best way to evaluate a mutual fund is through the Sharpe and Treynor ratios.  The higher the numbers the better.  When you come across a fund go to yahoo finance and in the risk section on the left you'll find 3,5,and 10 year sharpe and treynor ratios.  An example of a mutual fund with a high sharpe and treynor ratio is PRLAX or TREMX.  These are emerging market mutual funds and are therefore a bit agressive but the sharpe and treynor take into account not just performance but risk as well.  To get more info on the share and treynor just type them into yahoo search with the word defintion. Do one a time of course.\n\nI hope that helps.
241923
Vanguard.com generally has the near highest rates on a consistent basis. They offer a lot of funds with no load and low cost. They are not the lowest commission structure however. If you trade a lot and don't keep big cash balances I would go elsewhere.\n\nFidelity, tradeking, schwab, etrade, ameritrade, scottrade
318964
For us little people, I find the best way to invest is with no-load mutual fund accounts.  That way there are no charges or fees either up front or when you eventually sell out.  Also professional managers take care of the investing and do much better than we could ever do.  Second, I find the best way is to make the investment LONG TERM, let it sit no matter and over time I have found my investments always do well.  May I suggest a conservative long time company:  Lord Abbett Affiliated Fund has been excellent for me.
795327
Hey!  You do not have to invest all your money with just one fund manager.  In fact, that would be somewhat imprudent.  If you like a Fidelity fund, buy some.  Be careful though.  Do not buy funds simillar to those that you already own.  There are plent of good funds available for you from plenty of different companies.  You might even consider a couple of closed end funds, traded like stocks.  Give some thought to TDF which invests in China and IIF which invests in India.  Spread your money around geographically.
28586
Morningstar is a nice resource, but remember it is strictly backwards-looking analysis. Kiplingers is OK but is biased towards no loads. (There is a recent study out in the Journal of Financial Planning {October, 2005} that challenges the idea that index funds always outperform actively managed funds.\n\nHere's what I start with when looking for a fund to fill an asset category:\nPerformance relative to peers\nAsset size (Avoid the bloated funds)\nManager Tenure (Great 5 & 10 year numbers mean little if the manager has only been there for 2 years)\nFee structure\n\nThe important thing to remember is to allocate your assets in a manner in line with your time horizon and risk tolerance and DON'T CHASE PERFORMANCE. This years winners are not usually on the top of the heap next year.\n\nIt is never a bad idea to consult a financial planner, either.
722674
Your best bet is a no load mutual fund. But you need to be a little selective. I have run a yahoo screen of candidate mutual funds for you to consider. \n\nThe best results come with having a quarterly, some say monthly, investment plan--say add $100 to $200 quarterly. That way you average out the market swings buying less stock when the market is up and more when the market is down. \n\nNote: mutual funds have a year end distribution of realized gains. It is best to purchase right after the distribution because the price reflects the amount distributed.
1171141
Invest in HDFC Prudence........]\nYou can get more infos at\nhttp://www.valueresearchonline.com\nhttp://www.moneycontrol.com/mutualfundindia/\nhttp://mutualfunds.moneycontrol.com/mf/bestpicks/index.php\n\nYou can select the fund depending uopn your preferences and risk taking ability.
189875
try fidelity.com or vanguard.com or schwab.com .. also cheapest is tradeking.com\n\nwells fargo is a good bank, investment fees on the funds are high however.
164845
I own and recommend the following mutual funds without hesitation to anyone, for any situation and length of time. These are the first funds in which I invested, and I've owned them all for 3.5 to 4 years. I have ranked them from highest to lowest 3 year return.\n\nBUFSX\nCAAPX\nMVALX\nDODBX\nOAKBX\n\nI advise you to do your own research and comparisons at Morningstar.com.
185751
3 years or less I would have to say a CD or ING Direct.  That is not enough time for a mutual fund.
439706
I like Legg Mason Partners Funds (formerly called Smith Barney). I invest in LMP Aggressive Growth, LMP Fundamental Value, and LMP Appreciation Fund. These are known as "3 Fund Approach." Why? Just like you don't want to invest all your money into one stock, you don't want to invest your money all in one mutual fund (even though it invests 25 to 300 different companies). How you want to diversify your money is up to you, but I put about 33% into all.\n\nMy dealer is PFS Investments and they don't charge any fees to use their services. You can buy or redeem your shares online. You can check the value of your portfolio anytime online too. Oh yeah, make sure the agent is properly licensed and ask about the complimentary financial need analysis (a very useful financial tool).\n\nAnyway, no matter how you invest, don't pull out if the stock market crashes because you know stock market will always rebound (base on past performance).