Getting Started in Mutual Funds - Paperback

by Alvin D. Hall (Author)

A fresh look at the ever-changing world of mutual funds

Like all investment instruments, mutual funds continue to evolve. In the last decade however, there has been plenty of change, including market capitalization, the introduction of new types of funds, and the expansion of the mutual fund model to include investments in commodities.

Getting Started in Mutual Funds, Second Edition offers a completely updated look at this popular investment vehicle, including everything from Morningstar's new matrix of evaluating a fund's investment style to implementing mutual funds into long-term investment strategies in retirement plans. Throughout the book, author Alvin Hall also focuses on the basics, like how to read a prospectus, how to evaluate ongoing fees and expenses, and how to gauge a fund's performance.

• Acquaints you with the various types of mutual funds and how they are structured
• Explains important mutual fund terms and concepts
• New chapters include information on exchange-traded funds and how they compare to mutual funds in terms of performance, risk and fees
• Reveals how to assess a fund manager's investment style and its impact on your returns

Gain a better understanding of mutual funds and maximize your investment returns with Getting Started in Mutual Funds, Second Edition.

Back Jacket

A FRESH LOOK AT THE EVER-CHANGING WORLD OF MUTUAL FUNDS

GETTING STARTED IN MUTUAL FUNDS, SECOND EDITION

Despite what has happened in the markets over the last few years, mutual funds are still a reliable investment option--whether you're involved with them via a 401(k) plan, an IRA, or any other type of account. But if you're unsure of how mutual funds can help improve your future investment endeavors, then this is the book you need to read.

Getting Started in Mutual Funds, Second Edition offers a completely updated look at this popular investment vehicle. In it, author Alvin Hall fills you in on everything you'll need to select the right funds--from acquainting you with the various types of funds to revealing how they are structured. Along the way, he also explains important fund terms and concepts in a straightforward style, and helps you to understand the specific measures you must examine before investing in a fund.

With this book as your guide, you'll quickly learn how to:

• Select mutual funds that are suitable for your financial goals
• Understand the risk evaluations of a particular fund during bull and bear markets
• Assess a fund manager's investment style and its impact on your returns
• Evaluate ongoing fees and expenses as well as calculate return on investments
• Buy, redeem, and exchange mutual funds, as well as take advantage of shareholder services
• And much more

Engaging and accessible, the Second Edition of Getting Started in Mutual Funds will help you make more informed decisions in your search for, and analysis of, funds that could fit your particular investment objectives, risk tolerance, and time horizon.

Author Biography

ALVIN D. HALL is an internationally renowned financial educator and has been teaching about the financial markets and investment products for nearly three decades. He has written more than a dozen investment and personal finance books, including the bestselling Your Money or Your Life (nominated for a 2010 NAACP Image Award), Getting Started in Stocks, and an award-winning children's book, Show Me the Money, which has been published in twenty languages. Hall has hosted several BBC2 television series, including the award-winning Your Money or Your Life, as well as programs on BBC Radio 4 about business, personal finance, and contemporary art. In 2010, Hall hosted the BBC World News series Alvin's Guide to Good Business, featuring social entrepreneurs in Africa, Asia, and the United States. Hall is a personal finance contributor on NPR's Tell Me More with Michel Martin and WNYC's The Takeaway. He lives in New York City and is President of Cooperhall Press, Inc., a company that designs and conducts training programs about the financial markets.