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Mutual Funds & ETFs

Mutual funds and ETFs are a popular choice in both 401(k) and personal investing accounts. We explain how they work, dangers to avoid and how to assess how well funds perform.

Featured Articles

What Matters in Your Mutual Fund

by Danielle Schultz, CFP, CDFA Mar 16, 2022 Seemingly Standard Funds Vary by Management Style, Fees

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Target-Date Funds May Not Hit Mark for You

by Matt Mondoux, CFA, CFP, CMT Jul 29, 2021 Does the Plan’s Offerings Meet Your Risk Tolerance?

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Should You Leave Your Retirement Target-Date Fund?

by Danielle Schultz, CFP, CDFA, Contributing Editor Nov 11, 2021 Seemingly Standard Fund Mixes Vary by Management Style, Fees

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Are Mutual Funds the Best Choice on the Menu?

by Danielle Schultz, CFP, CDFA Jul 15, 2021 For Starters, an Investor Might Look at a Fund’s Holdings, Management and Philosophy.

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Bonds: Buy Them Individually or Wrapped in a Fund?

by Danielle Schultz, CFP, CDFA Apr 29, 2021 Some Investors Seek a Conservative Way to Shield a Portfolio From Volatility

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Will Index Investing Destabilize the Financial Markets?

by Thomas D. Saler Mar 11, 2021 Major Shift to Passive Investing Likely to Lead to Greater Volatility

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8 Dangers of Mutual Funds

by Danielle Schultz, CFP Aug 05, 2019 Mutual funds might be professionally managed and provide a simple way to participate in the stock market, but individual investors need to be wary of performance shortfalls, expense ratios, tax laws, and other issues that complicate fund investing.

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ETFs Offer Potential Opportunities for Stock-Pickers

by Thomas D. Saler, Contributor, BetterInvesting Magazine Nov 20, 2018 Are exchange-traded funds the investment tail that wags the market dog?

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How Mutual Funds Work

by Danielle Schultz, CFP Aug 05, 2019 There are many types of mutual funds, including actively managed funds, passively managed index funds, balanced and target-date funds, and money market funds. They all have differing structures and sales charges.

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The Best Place to Hitch Your Mutual Funds

by Danielle Schultz, CFP, CDFA Aug 01, 2019 Don’t Give Your Investments a Home Where the Taxman Roams

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Measuring Mutual Fund Performance

by Danielle Schultz, CFP Aug 05, 2019 Investors periodically ask about their mutual fund performance, including how they're doing versus benchmarks as well as versus stocks and other holdings. But you also have portfolio management considerations, such as the portfolio diversification.

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What if Your Mutual Fund Shows You the Door?

by Danielle Schultz, CFP, CDFA Sep 15, 2020 Some Funds Merge, Others Close to Investors or Even Go Belly Up

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