How to Choose Among Mutual Funds

Mutual funds are definitely becoming more and more popular nowadays since more and more people are looking for ways to grow their money aside from the usual saving and time deposit accounts offered by banks.

Mutual funds open the door to a simple, uncomplicated path to increased wealth. They’re also one of the best ways to diversify your investments and spread your risk. As I mentioned in one of my articles before, mutual funds are companies that gathers a large pool of money and invest it in a broad range of stocks according to specific set of rules.

The beauty of mutual funds is that they have enough money to invest in a wide range of stocks, bonds, or whatever else their prospectus allows them to. And instead of owning a few shares of just a few companies, you can have equity in lots of companies.

In choosing which mutual funds you should invest in, here are some of the tips to maximize the earning potential of your money through mutual fund investment.

1.) Choose according to your taste - A lot of mutual funds exists, and each has its own specialty. A fund may concentrate on large-company stocks, government bonds, a business sector like communications or energy, or an investing strategy like growth or value. Within that specialty, it will buy as many different assets as it can.

Mutual funds have fund managers and staffs of analysts who save you the time and effort of studying and tracking individual investments. Choose a fund that fits your particular taste, and you’ll watch your wealth as that entire segment of the economy grows. It’s a slower, but surer, path to making your fortune than betting the farm on individual stocks. 

Of course, nothing in the stock market is guaranteed to make money, including mutual funds. But when a fund owns a hundreds of stocks, the failure of one or two of them has little effect. That diversification protects you from losing your money if one or two stocks take a dive.

2.) Consider management style - The biggest difference in funds is whether they are actively or passively managed. An active mutual fund is one where the manager tries to beat the market by picking out the winners. He or she will actively evaluate and trade stocks, generally on a daily basis. These funds will have management fees to pay for the extra effort needed to try and score higher gains.

On the other hand, passive funds such as index funds or exchange traded funds only try to copy a certain index, such as FBM KLCI ETF for Malaysia KLCI index, or the Standard and Poor (S&P) 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) in the US. it contains just the stocks or bonds in a particular index, so its value follows that index. Because there is little trading, you only pay minimal fees and commissions.

3.) Compare types of funds - Most mutual funds are open-ended funds, which means they have no limit to the number of shares they can issue. At the end of every trading day, the fund determines its net asset value (NAV), which is its total assets minus total liabilities divided by the total number of shares outstanding. This NAV is the price a mutual fund will charge you to buy new shares or pay you if you sell.

4.) Watch out for charges - Loads are sales commissions charged by mutual fund companies and can range from 1 to 2 percent of your investment. If you put, say, RM 10,000 into a fund with a 5% front-end load, only RM 9,500 is invested, and RM 500 goes to the fund. If you redeem or cash in RM 10,000 from a 5% back-end load, you only get RM 9,500.

In addition to loads, mutual funds, especially active funds, may charge management, custodial, or maintenance fees. When evaluating a mutual fund, it’s important to subtract the extra fees from the gains it makes when figuring your overall yield. Index funds and exchange traded funds, however, are a good choice because they have ultra-low charges.

看大师们如何炒股

股海搏杀，血雨腥风，赢家毕竟是少数，正可谓是“一将功成万股枯”。也许不是每个小散都有机会成为投资大师，但学学股神们的成功经验，提升自己的操作水平却是大家都可以做到的。

　　沃伦·巴菲特

　　投资策略及理论：以价值投资为根基的增长投资策略，看重的是个股品质。

　　理论阐述：价值投资的精髓在于，质好价低的个股内在价值在足够长的时间内总会体现在股价上，利用这种特性，使本金稳定地复利增长。

　　具体做法：买入具有增长潜力但股价偏低的股票并长线持有。长线投资致富之道，在于每年保持稳定增长，利用复式滚存制造财富。

　　乔治·索罗斯

　　投资策略及理论：在市场转折处进出，利用羊群效应逆市主动操控市场进行市场投机。

　　理论阐述：索罗斯的核心投资理论就是反射理论，简单地说是指投资者与市场之间的一个互动影响。理论依据是投资者都是持偏见进入市场的，而偏见正是了解金融市场动力的关键所在。当流行偏见只属于小众时，影响力尚小，但不同投资者的偏见在互动中产生群体影响力，将会演变成具主导地位的观念，就是羊群效应。

　　具体做法：在将要大起的市场中投入巨额资本引诱投资者一并狂热买进，从而进一步带动市场价格上扬，直至价格走向疯狂。在市场行将崩溃之时，率先带头抛售做空，基于市场已在顶峰，脆弱而不堪一击，任何风吹草动都可以引起恐慌性抛售，从而又进一步加剧下跌幅度，直至崩盘。

　　安得烈·科斯托兰尼

　　投资策略及理论：在市场转折前夕进出，逆向操作，忍受市场最后的下跌，远离市场最后的辉煌。看重的是市场趋势。

　　理论阐述：升跌是分不开的伙伴，如果分不清下跌的终点，就看不出上升的起点。成功的关键就是在过热阶段逆向操作。

　　具体做法：在下跌的过热阶段买进，即使价格继续下挫也不必害怕。在上涨的修正阶段继续买进，在上涨的相随阶段，只观察，被动随行情波动。到了上涨的过热阶段，投资者普遍亢奋时，退出市场。

　　彼得·林奇

　　投资策略及理论：以价值投资为根基的实用投资策略。

　　理论阐述：关注有庇护的独立子公司、乏人关注的潜力股、充满谣言的公司、大家不想关注的行业、增长处于零的行业、消耗性大的消费品、会回购自己股份的公司。

　　具体做法：从生活中发掘有潜能的股份，投资具有潜力且未被市场留意的公司，长线持有，利用复式滚存稳步增长。

　　是川银藏

　　投资策略及理论：以价值投资为根基的乌龟三原则投资策略，既看重个股品质也看重市场趋势。

　　理论阐述：乌龟三原则的启示来自于龟兔赛跑的故事，动作慢的乌龟能取得最后胜利，全靠稳打稳扎，谨慎小心，同样包含了价值投资的精髓。乌龟三原则即：1。选择未来大有前途却尚未被世人察觉的潜力股，长期持有；2。每日密切注视经济与股市行情的变动，而且自己下工夫研究。在耐心等待股价上升的同时，防止市场突变，错失卖出时机；3。不可过分乐观，不要以为股市会永远涨个不停，在市况炽热时，应趁高套利。

　　具体做法：勤奋做功课，收集各种重要统计资料，详细分析，找出经济变化的动向，再以研究成果作武器炒股，并且坚持“只吃八分饱”。

　　约翰·坦伯顿

　　投资策略及理论：将投资股票比喻成购物，不论买楼买车、买衣服鞋袜还是买股票，都要四处比较价格，用心发掘最好的商品。

　　理论阐述：投资，不要投机；分散投资，注意实际回报；从错误中学习，监控自己的投资。

　　具体做法：永远在市场最悲观的时候进场，寻找价廉物美的股票，长线持有。

出货技巧——怎样不被套牢

会买是徒弟，会卖是师傅，要保住胜利果实，应该讲究出货的技巧。以下是八个窃门：

　　第一，有备而来。无论什么时候，买股票之前就要盘算好买进的理由，并计算好出货的目标。千万不可盲目地进去买，然后盲目地等待上涨，再盲目地被套牢。

　　第二，一定设立止损点。凡是出现巨大亏损的，都是由于入市的时候没有设立止损点。而设立了止损点就必须执行。即便是刚买进就套牢，如果发现错了，也应卖出。做长线投资的必须是股价能长期走牛的股票，一旦长期下跌，就必须卖！

　　第三，不怕下跌怕放量。有的股票无缘无故地下跌并不可怕，可怕的是成交量的放大。尤其是庄家持股比较多的品种绝对不应该有巨大的成交量，如果出现，十有八九是主力出货。所以，对任何情况下的突然放量都要极其谨慎。

　　第四，拒绝中阴线。无论大盘还是个股，如果发现跌破了大众公认的强支撑，当天有收中阴线的趋势，都必须加以警惕。尤其是本来走势不错的个股，一旦出现中阴线可能引发中线持仓者的恐慌，并大量抛售。有些时候，主力即使不想出货，也无力支撑股价，最后必然会跌下去，有时候主力自己也会借机出货。所以，无论在哪种情况下，见了中阴线都应该考虑出货。

　　第五，只认一个技术指标，发现不妙立刻就溜。给你100个技术指标根本就没有用，有时候把一个指标研究透彻了，也完全把一只股票的走势掌握在心中，发现行情破了关键的支撑，马上就走。

　　第六，不买问题股。买股票要看看它的基本面，有没有令人担忧的地方，尤其是几个重要的指标，防止基本面突然出现变化。在基本面确认不好的情况下，谨慎介入，随时警惕。

　　第七，基本面服从技术面。股票再好，形态坏了也必跌，股票再不好，形态好了也能上涨。即使特大资金做投资，形态坏了也应该至少出30％以上，等待形态修复后再买进。对任何股票都不能迷信。对家人、朋友和祖国可以忠诚，对股票，忠诚就是愚蠢。有人10年前买的深发展到今天还没卖，我认为是不足取的。因为如果真的看好它，应该在合适的价格抛出，又在合适的价格再买进。始终持股不动，是懒惰的体现。

　　第八，不做庄家的牺牲品。有时候有庄家的消息，或者庄家外围的消息，在买进之前可以信，但关于出货千万不能信。出货是自己的事情，任何庄家都不会告诉你自己在出货，所以出货要根据盘面来决定，不可以根据消息来断。