What is the average price to buy into a mutual fund?
952331
It depends on the mutual fund.  Exchange traded funds of which there are many,  the minimum cost is that of one share of the fund.  Funds with front end loads normally have a low minimum investment amount, about $500.  Funds without loads normally have higher minimums, about $2,500 to $5,000.  Some funds have very high minimums, $100,000 maybe even more.  \n\nIf I had to guess the average, I would have to guess about $1,000.
824382
I believe most mutual funds require $2500 initial investment, so you may be limited in your choice.  I would get a copy of Money  magazine and look at their listings of mutual funds to see which ones allow you to start with $1000.  \nThere will be statistics on all of the funds showing you which ones are doing the best for 1,5, and 10 year periods.\nIf it is for long term investment, I would recommend an S&P 500 index fund like Vanguard index 500, or a growth and income fund.  If you want to gamble  a little for higher returns, you \ncould try an aggressive growth fund.  A good friend of mine has done well with CGM focus fund.\nLook for no-load funds, and ones with the smallest maintainance fees.  These fees don't sound too important but over many years of compounding they are very important.\nPaying a load up front has never been shown to increase your returns on the average (contrary to what some brokers will try to tell you), so don't.\nAnd if you are young, stay away from bond funds; stock funds are much better.  Some of the better companies are Strong, Janus , Fidelity and Vanguard.\nGood luck!
852348
Not sure where these other clowns are getting their information, but allow me to clarify some information:\n1.  Check to see what types of investments you are being placed into.  If it is a managed stock and bond portfolio (not mutual funds, annuities or insurance anything), 1.9% is certainly a fair fee so long as it includes market trades, and expert manager (with a track record) another expert looking at the economics, and the ability to have tax flexibility.  While 1.9% sounds expensive, mutual funds (yes even vanguard), including transaction costs can run from 1.25%-3% no matter how much money you have invested with them not to mention some even carry added commissions! (see www.personalfund.com).  Annuities are mutual funds plus insurance so add another .75-1.5% to the underlying funds on personalfund.com and you will see that most people are paying about 3.5% to have their money managed through annuites.  Typically with fee based planners as your assets go up in value so does the dollar amount of their fee, but the actual percentage goes down, which is not the case with mutual funds, not even vanguard.\nManaged stock accounts do allow you to control taxes much better than mutual funds as well.  Don't forget that the financial planner wants to see your fee go up in dollars, if is based on a percentage, then as your account grows, so will his fee.  If it continues to grow the percentage will drop, but the fee will continue to grow.\nSee if your financial planner is actually a financial planner.  If he doesn't have the letters CFP somewhere after his/her name, he ain't a planner.  But being a CFP doesn't mean squat if they aren't adding value (reducing taxes and risk while increasing returns and goals).  He should be meeting or willing to meet with your CPA and attorney.\n1.9% is high if you are investing in bonds, money market, savings accounts, or something that is guaranteed to pay a certain amount. 1.9% doesn't mean squat to someone who has annualized returns net of fees of 15% for the past 10 years with less risk than the S&P500, that is powerful money making.  If they aren't getting the returns and you have time to do it yourself, then you can find cheaper, but not necessarily better.\nBe cautious.  I have heard of some "advisors/planners" who charge an annual wealth manager fee and say their products don't make them any money, but then put clients in "safe-guaranteed" investments that don't charge commission when in reality they are annuities that pay 10-14% to the broker and the client is told they are free.
342742
To best grow your money you first need to establish the amount of risk your willing to take. Low risk, get into bonds or money market accounts and expect about 5-6% annually. Mutual funds will offer the full range from 5-20% on average, but the more gain means the more lost. For the most aggressive risk (and therefore gain) play in individual stocks, options or on forex (foreign exchange currency market).\n\nThe most important thing is to spread your money around, don't lump all your capital into one or two stocks, because your setting yourself up to take major losses. Educate yourself before jumping into anything. Investopedia.com is a good resource for that - just remember that they are supported by various brokers and agencies, so take recommendations lightly. They do, however, provide good solid information on the basics.
823551
Mutual funds let you start with low amounts. If not knowledgeable an index mutual fund is best + is cheapest in internal cost. Schwab.com or 1 of the others makes opening an account easy. If no IRA - open 1 1st. I would chose a global index fund right now\n. SWINX if going with schwab
1187549
Depends on your age.  I'm 61 and still heavily invested in mutual funds . . . yes the current market tightens up my gut a little, but I don't need or want to use my money for at least 6 years.  I can't name a source but if you dig around a little, you'll see that stocks have averaged around 11%  a year over the last 75 years.  Yes, around 11% including the Great Depression years.
56949
www.bankrate.com\n Best mutual fund is subjective to your goals.  That question cannot be answered.
53924
Brokerage minimums vary...but Scottrade is $500 to open an account. Check out sharebuilder.com too if you want to buy small chunks..they have plans where you can invest X amount each month into a specific stock.\n\nAlso, some companies allow you to buy stock directly from them. Usually, it's a $250 or so min. Check out the website of a company you are thinking of investing in and look at their investors link. You can also go to www.equiserve.com (they manage direct stock purchase plans for hundreds of companies).\n\nAvoid cheap stocks < $10. They are cheap for a reason and usually of bad quality... Your money is better spent on high quality stocks....especially if it's your first purchase. "expensive" is relative.
173961
A mutual fund is a collection of some kind of investment, usually stocks. They’re extremely popular. Your parents own at least one mutual fund if they’ve ever worked at a company. Mutual funds work like this: You pick a fund you like (e.g., growth, value, technology, international…), buy shares of the fund, and let a money manager pick the stocks he thinks will yield the best return. In exchange for this diversification and his expertise, you pay an annual fee. \n\nAdvantages: Hands-off approach means an expert money manager makes investment decisions for you. Mutual fund (ostensibly) holds many varied stocks, so if one company tanks, your fund doesn’t go down with it (i.e., it’s “diversified”).\n\nDisadvantages: Annual fees can equal tens of thousands of dollars or more (!) over the lifetime of an investment. If you invest in two mutual funds, they may overlap in investments, yielding a less-diversified portfolio than you really think. In other words, if both funds hold Microsoft and Microsoft tanks, you get hit twice. Although you’re paying an expert to manage your money, they rarely beat the market—the mutual fund industry’s dirty secret!\n\nMuch more clear info in the link below :)
202390
Whatever you can afford.  The best way to get started is to figure out how much extra money that you have at the end of the month.  Make sure that it is money that you plan on investing for the long term.  You don't have to invest a big lump sum.  \n\nThe best strategy for a beginner is to systematically, dollar cost average into a low cost mutual fund.  Find yourself a good no load, index or growth fund and set up an account to automatically take a fixed amount from your bank account every month.  When the market is low, you are buying more shares and when the market is high, you are buying less shares.  You will find that you won't miss the money and in a short period of time you will discover the power of dollar cost averaging combined with the compounding of money.  Good luck!!
417987
You should definitely start with no load mutual funds.  With limited resources, the commissions will kill your returns on single stocks.  Go to www.vangaurd.com or www.fidelity.com and I think you can start for as little as $25. When you talk to them, let them know you are young and want a fund with above average risk.
135205
Your question makes me want to barf. Don't look for a quick hit. You'll eventually lose it all.\n\nOpen a Roth IRA and put $3,000 in a mutual fund. Put more money in each month thereafter.
742384
There are several main differences.  Buying a mutual fund allows you to spread your risk among many different stocks.  Buying stocks concentrates your risk among only the stocks you buy.  \n\nPros and cons:\n\nMutual funds have to distribute realized captial gains each year so you have to pay taxes each year.  That is a con.  They also have expenses they charge to the investor, about 1.5% on average.  That is a con.   They invest in a diversified number of stocks.  That is a pro.   A good mutual fund returns on average about 10% to 13% annually over a long period of time.  That is a pro. \n\n By purchasing stocks, as long as you do not sell them you do not have to pay taxes on the capital gains.  That is a pro.  You need to own about 10 different stocks to minimize specific risk.  That is a con.  Some investors can not resist selling their stocks when they receive a 50 to 100% increase in value.  That is a con.  Some investors hesitate to sell their stocks when the price drops 25%. They think the price will recover.  That is a con.  Some investors can not resist the hot stocks and buy them when they have reached their peak.  That is a con.  \n\nA good stock is definitely more profitable than a good mutual fund.  But a good mutual fund will give you more consistant annual returns year after year after year.
509331
Mutual funds are pools of money that are managed by an investment company. They offer investors a variety of goals, depending on the fund and its investment charter. Some funds, for example, seek to generate income on a regular basis. Others seek to preserve an investor's money. Still others seek to invest in companies that are growing at a rapid pace. Funds can impose a sales charge, or load, on investors when they buy or sell shares.\n\nYou invest in it by purchasing the fund from the investment company.\n\nThe investment company will have a minimum requirement on how long you may hold the fund before selling.
1096968
In simplest terms, mutual funds are just groups of investments. They can be stocks, or bonds, or a combination of the two. They can even be investments in real estate (REITs).\n\nIn an active mutual fund, a fund manager decides what to purchase for the fund. In a stock fund, the manager picks the stocks to buy in hopes that the stocks will go up. In bond fund, he picks bonds. In some funds, the manager has the option of choosing between both stock and bonds. He may even decide buy nothing if he can't find anything worth buying, keeping cash on hand until he finds something worthwhile to buy.\n\nIn an index fund, a fund manager's main job is just to buy the stocks or bonds in an index. For example, in an S&P 500 stock fund, the manager's job is to buy all the stocks in S&P 500 and hold them.
436201
A Mutual Fund is a collective fund pooled by an enterprise from the investors having mutual interest. The fund collections shall be invested by the Fund manager in the stocks traded on the exchange. The type & mode of investment made by the Fund Manager shall be made specific to the investors at the time of collecting the amount from them. There are lot of mutual funds availble in the market like Morgan Stanley ... etc.,. The mutual funds are governed by laws of the respective country.
318123
You can find a lot of past performance of mutual funds on this web site.     http://www.micropal.com/\nalthough past return is no guarantee of future results - still, it could be used as an estimate.\n\nIf you want to calculate what an investment of $37,940 would add up to if it grew at 5% per year, just type this formula into an excel sheet:\n  =FV(0.05,30,,-37940)\nA whopping $163,974!