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• Why the Target Funds are Good Marketing but Lousy Investing

  by Scott Burns Q. Can you talk about the pros and cons of creating your "five-fold" portfolio vs. investing in a targeted retirement mutual fund? Could you also touch on the practical aspects of trying to create and rebalance a "five-fold"... Posted Oct 31 2007, 03:30 PM by admin with | with 4 comment(s) Filed under: Mutual Fund Investing, Q&A (from print)

• The Best of Two Worlds: Vanguard Inside USAA

  Q: I will soon have about $74,000 from the sale of my 90-year-old mother’s house. The house is in an irrevocable trust, and I am the trustee. My mother recently moved to an assisted-living facility and does not need any additional income from the house... Posted May 16 2007, 06:00 PM by scottb with | with 3 comment(s) Filed under: Mutual Fund Investing, Q&A (from print), Resources

• Income Limits from Your Nest Egg

  Q. It is recommended that retirees withdraw no more than 4 percent a year from their retirement nest egg. Is this in addition to any income that is generated from their funds? Bonds and CDs pay more than 4 percent. And some higher-dividend stocks pay... Posted Jan 03 2007, 06:00 PM by scottb with | with 8 comment(s) Filed under: Index & ETF Investing, Mutual Fund Investing, Q&A (from print), Retirement

• No-load Mutual Funds vs. Exchange-traded Funds

  Q: I read your column about ETFs. What I don't understand is what advantage ETFs have over regular no-load mutual funds. All of my investments are in no-load mutual funds, mostly index funds at Vanguard and Fidelity. Why should I pay a commission, even... Posted Nov 22 2006, 06:00 PM by scottb with | with 5 comment(s) Filed under: Index & ETF Investing, Mutual Fund Investing, Q&A (from print)

• Bonds Lose Value When Interest Rates Rise

  Q. I have a portion of my investments in Federated U.S. Government Securities II. It has had a negative return for the past quarter. One reason I invested in it was for fixed income and preservation of capital. As a retired senior on fixed income, I am... Posted May 18 2006, 11:10 AM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Mutual Fund Investing, Q&A (from print)

• Fee Pyramiding Damages Long Term Returns

  Q. We have about $50,000 in Wells Fargo and Janus mutual funds. Both are currently in money market accounts. We are thinking about moving out of these and putting our money into a managed advisory service account with a major mutual fund company. The... Posted Apr 20 2006, 11:59 AM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Mutual Fund Investing, Q&A (from print)

• Fees Influence Performance and Asset Allocation

  Q. I have two questions. First, my wife's financial planner has her IRA invested in a fund (ticker: FABGX) that has a 5 percent back load, a management fee, and a 12b-1 fee. I say that's bull. Of the total, $20,000 is in a money market fund which at her... Posted Feb 09 2006, 01:40 PM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Income Investing, Mutual Fund Investing, Q&A (from print)

• Load vs. No Load Funds: Distribution, Not Magic

  Q. I have two questions about mutual funds. (1.) Why are people buying 'load' mutual funds? What are the advantages of load funds? (2.) What are the advantages to open an account from mutual fund company, since the funds can be bought from brokerage house... Posted Jan 20 2006, 11:47 AM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Mutual Fund Investing, Q&A (from print)

• Paying Off the Mortgage Can Lower Your Tax Bill

  Q. I'm a blue collar guy who is sometimes overwhelmed by investing. So I am thinking of paying off my home mortgage. I owe $65,000 (the house is worth $125,000) and I have that amount in UPS stock. I'm uncertain about the stock market and the mortgage... Posted Jan 05 2006, 02:58 PM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Home Ownership & Mortgages, Mutual Fund Investing, Q&A (from print)

• A Sales Representative Asks Piercing Questions

  Here's a sarcastic communication from a member the financial service sales force. It's a good indication of why I think most people are better off on their own. "Perhaps you can address the following two questions to your favorite company Vanguard. 1... Posted Dec 01 2005, 11:37 AM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Mutual Fund Investing, Q&A (from print)

• A Closer Look At Fund Expenses

  Q. I found your recent column on mutual fund expenses ("Scratch The Surface, Find More Fees", Tuesday, December 7, 2004) very informative. But after reading it I am somewhat confused. I have invested exclusively with Fidelity for over 20 years in both... Posted Jan 06 2005, 02:04 PM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Mutual Fund Investing, Q&A (from print)

• It Costs Money To Market Mutual Funds

  Q. In a recent column you discussed "screening" techniques when selecting mutual funds. One restriction you mentioned in your analysis was the exclusion of loaded funds. In the past my financial planner has almost exclusively recommended no-load funds... Posted Dec 04 2004, 10:02 AM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Financial Planning, Home Ownership & Mortgages, Index & ETF Investing, Mutual Fund Investing, Q&A (from print)

• Learning How Your Fund Is Doing

  Q. What can you tell me about Lehman Brothers First Trust Opportunity Fund (ticker: LBC)? My wife and I bought $60,000 worth in March of this year. This amount represents 25 percent of our investments. We purchased this stock at the suggestion of our... Posted Sep 23 2004, 02:25 PM by scottb with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Index & ETF Investing, Mutual Fund Investing, Q&A (from print)

• What About Commissions on Exchange Traded Funds?

  Q. Aren't you overlooking something when you advocate buying ETF's as opposed to regular mutual funds? When buying an ETF, you have to pay a commission on both the purchase and the sale. This can be expensive for an individual that wants to buy a small... Posted Aug 19 2004, 10:22 AM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Index & ETF Investing, Mutual Fund Investing, Q&A (from print)

• Changes Horses in the Mutual Fund Derby

  Q. On January 1st 2000 I invested $140,000 in AIM Basic Value and AIM Blue Chip mutual funds. Today those funds have a value of $83,000. At the same time I invested $15,200 in the Putnam Voyager fund, now valued at $9,200. This is a total loss in value... Posted Aug 12 2004, 10:45 AM by scottb with | with no comments Filed under: Home Ownership & Mortgages, Mutual Fund Investing, Q&A (from print)