Invest in SBI Mutual Funds

The SBI Mutual Fund, which takes its name from the State Bank of India, has been in operation for eighteen years and boasts more than two million investors. With 30 active funds, or schemes, within the SBI mutual fund itself, the company offers a variety of strategies for investing. The following will give you a general idea of how to invest in SBI mutual funds.

Decide how much you'd be willing to invest in a mutual fund, both initially and on a monthly basis. Don't plan on investing more than 10 percent of your overall investment portfolio.

Look over the online information on the SBI Mutual Funds website on each of the funds. From the "Products" tab, choose between Equity Schemes, Debt Schemes and Balanced Schemes.

Take the SBI Mutual Funds' Invest Test online to see which fund they suggest for you. From the "Learning Center" tab, select "Invest Test" and answer each question as honestly as you can.

Choose the SBI mutual fund scheme(s) that sounds the best to you. This may or may not be the scheme the Invest Test recommends for you.

Order the prospectuses for the funds you're interested in and read them thoroughly. Note any service fees charged.

Compare fees, projected profits and performance charts for each prospectus you have.

Look up the SBI mutual fund's risk level as calculated by Morningstar.

Select the SBI mutual fund you are most interested in, and download the appropriate application form. All forms are available by clicking on the "Downloads" tab on the home page.

Submit your completed application to the SBI investment office listed on the application.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure you have a good understanding of your financial goal for investing: Is it for an upcoming purchase? Is it a long-term investment for retirement? Is it for a medium-range investment such as your child's college fund?
• Take advantage of the planning tools on the SBI website, even if you don't end up investing with SBI.
• Mutual funds are a wise investment for those who seek a medium- to long-range payoff. They are not the answer for those looking for a quick payoff.
• Consult as many outside objective sources as possible for analysis of any particular mutual fund.

Invest in Highmark Mutual Funds

HighMark Capital Management, Inc., a subsidiary of Union Bank, manages the Highmark mutual funds. This fund family offers approximately 30 different funds. Follow these steps to invest in HighMark mutual funds.

Study HighMark Mutual Funds

Download a prospectus for HighMark mutual funds from the company's Web site (see the Resources section below), or call (800) 433-6884. Read it carefully to learn about the basic types of funds HighMark offers as well as the investment objectives and strategies of the funds.

Choose the type of account you want to open -- an individual account, a joint account or a trust account. Contact HighMark Funds Investor Services at (800) 433-6884 with any questions you have about opening an account or for instructions on opening an IRA account.

Download an account application from the HighMark Web site.

Fill out all relevant sections of the account application, and write a check for the amount of your investment.

Mail your account application and check to HighMark Funds at P.O. Box 8416, Boston, Massachusetts, 02266-8416.

Choose HighMark Mutual Funds to Invest In

Choose from among the variety of funds that HighMark offers: four moderate allocation mutual funds; four intermediate-term bond mutual funds; large-blend, large-growth and large-value mutual funds; and small-value, small-growth mutual funds.

Decide how to allocate your investment funds. The HighMark Funds family contains more than 30 different mutual funds and offers shares into two different classes, A and C (read the prospectus for more information on share classes). You can use a single account application form to invest in a variety of funds, so decide how much you would like to invest in each.

Tips & Warnings

• Call HighMark at (800) 433-6884 to open an Asset Allocation Account.
• To open an account on behalf of a corporation or trust, you must provide complete identifying information for each person who is authorized to conduct account transactions.
• You can use the HighMark Automatic Investment Plan to regularly invest small amounts in the funds of your choice.

Invest in Harbor Mutual Funds

The Harbor Funds' family of mutual funds includes three subgroups: Domestic Equity, International Equity and Fixed Income. The company also offers a money market account. Follow these steps to invest in Harbor mutual funds.

Invest in Harbor Mutual Funds

Complete the online registration form on the Harbor Mutual Funds Web site to receive an account application (see the Resources section below). You can print the online application or receive an application in the mail.

Decide if you want to open a standard account or an IRA account.

Choose which fund you want to invest in. Read the prospectus before reaching a final decision.

Fill out the account application and return it to Harbor. The mailing address is on the company's Web site on the "Open an Account" page. Include a check for at least the minimum investment amount with your application.

Understand the Investment Goals of Each Mutual Fund

Learn the investment goals of the Harbor Domestic Equity subgroup of funds, which are long-term capital growth and long-term returns on investments.

Discover the investment objectives of Harbor International Equity mutual funds. This group of mutual funds is also interested in long-term returns and capital growth as opposed to short-term gains and income generation.

Outline the investment objectives of Harbor Fixed Income mutual funds, which focus on real returns, the conservation of capital and short-term, reliable gains.

Learn About the Different Mutual Funds in the Harbor Funds Group

Learn about the seven Domestic Equity mutual funds that you can invest in. Each one has a different objective, and the funds cover both small-cap and large-cap stocks, as well as growth and value investing. Read the prospectus for each.

Visit the "Funds" section of the Harbor Funds Web site to obtain information on all the company's mutual funds. Study the information regarding Harbor International Equity mutual funds, which represent growth and value-oriented investment strategies.

Get to know the five Harbor Fixed Income mutual funds. Most of them invest primarily in bonds.

Tips & Warnings

• Download a PDF copy of the firm's prospectus at the Harbor Funds Web site.

Invest in GE Mutual Funds

GE epitomizes diversification with a presence in everything from electronics and power to medical technology and financial services. GE offers 12 mutual funds in which you can invest, handled by GE Asset Management Incorporated. As of September 2006, GE Asset Management handled more than $186 billion in assets. GE Asset Management is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Electric, managing the GE family of funds with a stated commitment to both integrity and quality.

Think carefully about your investment goals, risk tolerance level and the time frame in which you hope to accomplish your goals. Write your investment goals down and refer to them as you consider your options.

Peruse the available GE mutual funds and recognize the relationship between risk and reward. The funds with the lowest level of risk offer the lowest potential for investment rewards. By contrast, a higher level of risk translates into more potential for returns and capital appreciation.

Click on any GE fund to view its related fact sheet. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader, available for free download, to perform this step.

Visit GEFunds.com to view information regarding the available GE mutual funds. You may choose to invest in any of the GE international/global, domestic growth, domestic growth and income, domestic income and money market funds.

Use the "Portfolio Composition" link to review the holdings for each GE mutual fund.

Use the "Prices and Performance" link to review daily prices, yields, short- and long-term performance for the funds that interest you. Keep in mind that performance data is not load adjusted.

Download a prospectus for each GE mutual fund that interests you. Choose the funds that best suit your needs.

Download and complete a GE fund application. Enclose a check for the minimum required deposit and mail it to GE Mutual Funds. The minimum opening investment is $500 for each fund.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't overlook fees, charges and expenses in choosing mutual funds in which to invest. If two mutual funds are similar in performance, the fund with fewer expenses and fees may be the better bet for maximizing your investment money.
• Besides checking on the Internet, you can find fund performance information in many newspapers, such as the "Wall Street Journal" or the daily newspaper in your area.

Invest in Chinese Mutual Funds

You needn't limit yourself to investments within the United States. You can move on to Chinese investments! There is evidence to suggest that China's economy will continue to blossom. Investing in Chinese mutual funds can provide a way to profit from China's economy without having in-depth knowledge of the Chinese market.

Instructions

Determine the level of foreign fund exposure that currently exists in your portfolio.

Make a list of your investment objectives.

Understand that foreign investments can be risky. Political, social and currency fluctuations, as well as differences in accounting practices, can influence the success of your Chinese mutual fund investments. Evaluate the level of risk with which you are comfortable.

Use an investment research website such as Morningstar (a link to which can be found in the Resources section below) to research Chinese mutual funds. Morningstar provides mutual fund ratings, ranking funds from 1 to 5 stars.

Obtain a prospectus for each Chinese mutual fund you are considering. Review each prospectus carefully.

Let history be your guide. Look at the past performance of interesting Chinese mutual funds to get an idea of what the future may hold.

Recognize that dealing with foreign investments can be challenging and that unreliable information can lead to financial loss. Enlist the help of a financial professional in making your choices.

Research mutual fund asset allocation strategies or speak to a financial advisor concerning foreign mutual fund investments.

Decide how much you can affort to invest in Chinese mutual funds.

Contact a financial advisor or broker for advice and guidance for your initial investment. With this person's help, purchase your first Chinese mutual fund shares.

Tips & Warnings

• As with any mutual fund investment, it is wise to investigate fees, charges and expenses before you invest. High fees could eat away at your earnings. Read a fund's prospectus carefully before you purchase shares.
• Keep in mind that funds that focus on just one country tend to have higher levels of risk. As such, they are not well suited to investors who are looking to foreign markets for security.
• Read foreign prospectuses even more carefully than you would a domestic fund prospectus. Ask a trusted financial advisor any questions that arise.
• Investigate the manager of the Chinese mutual fund you are considering before you invest. You may uncover information helpful in assessing the fund's potential for meeting your goals.

Invest in Canadian Mutual Funds

Like United States mutual funds, a Canadian fund essentially pools your money with that of other investors and invests under the guidance of the fund's manager. A Canadian mutual fund may invest primarily in stocks, bonds, cash, or other kinds of securities. Alternatively, a mutual fund may invest in a variety of securities. There is a wide range of Canadian mutual funds from which you can choose, allowing you to select fund options that are well matched to your investment objectives.

Instructions

Consider both the near and distant future in developing investment objectives. Make a list of both short-term and long-term financial goals.

Assess the level of risk with which you are comfortable.

Determine the portion of your assets that you'd like to allocate to Canadian mutual funds.

Determine the types of mutual funds in which you are interested. Depending on your investment objectives, you may prefer growth, income, combination growth and income, international or index funds.

Research and compare Canadian mutual funds on the Internet. Morningstar, a link to which can be found in the Resources section below, provides in-depth information about Canadian mutual funds and offers ways for you to compare them.

Request prospectuses for the Canadian mutual funds that are in line with your investment objectives. Carefully consider the risks versus the benefits of investing in each fund you are considering. Be sure to consider the costs and expenses associated with each mutual fund as well.

Decide whether to pursue load or no-load funds. Load funds charge commissions and no-load funds do not.

Contact your broker to purchase shares or contact the mutual fund directly.

Tips & Warnings

• If you live in the United States, you may be liable for taxes on foreign mutual fund profits. Consult with a tax advisor to learn what to expect.
• Typically, mutual funds give you choices concerning how your distributions and dividends are handled. You may choose to have them sent to you or you can select a reinvestment option, using distributions and dividends to purchase additional fund shares. Many mutual fund companies waive sales charges for automatic reinvestments.
• Today, many banks offer mutual funds. Don't allow a bank's name and reputation to lull you into a false sense of security. There are risks involved with mutual funds, no matter what their origins. Furthermore, bank-offered or not, mutual funds are not Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insured.

Invest In AXP Mutual Funds

American Express Funds, with a financial history that goes back as far as 1940, offers 66 mutual funds that are distributed within the United States. As of 2005, American Express Funds (stock symbol AXP) managed mutual fund assets totaling $64 billion. Together with the American Express Financial Corporation and its affiliates, the manager for American Express Funds owned and managed in excess of $350 billion in assets as of 2005.

Understand AXP Mutual Fund Options

Understand that AXP income funds focus on producing regular dividends from preferred stocks and/or bonds. With income funds, share prices fluctuate with interest rates. Share prices tend to increase when interest rates fall and decrease when they rise.

Recognize that AXP growth and income mutual funds are aimed at the long-term growth of capital, as well as providing current income. Typically, growth and income funds invest chiefly in stocks and bonds that have a history of both capital appreciation and providing consistent dividends.

Realize that AXP growth mutual funds may suit your needs if you're interested in capital appreciation. These funds invest in securities that appreciate over time, rather than those that focus on providing current income.

Decide whether or not AXP international mutual funds interest you. These funds invest in non-domestic securities markets.

Understand that AXP tax-free income funds focus on maximizing current, federal tax-exempt investment income while preserving capital.

Consider that AXP index funds concentrate on minimizing the performance of one of the market indexes, such as the Standard & Poor's 500. These funds typically have low costs and fees.

Instructions for Investing in AXP Mutual Funds

Define or review your investment objectives. Remember these objectives as you begin researching AXP mutual funds.

Consider the type of funds that interest you. Research and compare AXP mutual funds at the Morningstar or Standard & Poor's websites.

Request prospectuses for the funds that best suit your objectives. Review them carefully.

Consult with your broker or financial advisor before you purchase shares. Evaluate risks and benefits and purchase shares of the AXP mutual funds that match your objectives.

Tips & Warnings

• As you research and compare AXP mutual funds, remember that past performance is not indicative of future performance. There is risk involved in any investment.
• Remember that mutual funds can help you to diversify your investments. Diversification can be key in lowering risk.

How to make money on high oil prices

Crude oil prices are through the roof. Here's how you can profit on high oil prices.

Decide how you want to make money through investments in energy stocks, mutual funds or stocks. Stocks are the riskier play, but have the higher potential. Mutual funds are a better move if you have smaller amounts of money.

If you wish to invest in individual energy stocks, go to a site like Google Finance and look at the energy sector. Do your research and find companies with good profit margins and high leverage to expensive oil.

If you wish to invest in mutual funds go to Morningstar.com to search for some of the best performing energy sector mutual funds. For example the Vanguard Energy Fund has returned 34% on an annual basis in the last 5 years.

Keep a close eye on supply and demand for crude oil after making these investments. If the principles of your investment thesis change, you have to be ready to sell some or all of your trade.

Tips & Warnings

• Crude oil is already at an all-time high and some believe the bubble could burst, be careful!

Invest in Seligman Mutual Funds

With over 50 portfolios, Seligman mutual funds offer something for everyone. This variety allows both individuals and institutions to find appropriate investments. Follow these steps to invest in Seligman mutual funds.

Research and Invest in Seligman Mutual Funds

Brush up on the basics. The intricacies of mutual funds can be intimidating. To turn your anxiety into knowledge, research key words and terminology on a helpful Web site like The Investment FAQ (see the Resources section below).

Choose your size. Seligman offers small, medium and large funds, each with its own level of risk.

Focus on your financial objectives to choose the appropriate mutual fund. To make lots of money, be prepared to take some risks.

Conspire to retire. If your goal is retirement, then consider Seligman's many retirement plans. This will help narrow your focus.

Give it time. Many mutual funds tax their clients for an early asset redemption, and Seligman is no exception. This tax can be as high as 5 percent, which is no small amount if you've invested thousands.

Find the fines. Most Seligman funds have expense fees based on the cash you've invested. These unsavory fees can ultimately stunt your portfolio's growth.

Get a prospectus, your most important reading before you invest in any mutual fund. The prospectus outlines the fund's performance, risks and goals. It also explains fees and asset liquidity.

Look at the past. You can read a fund's biannual and annual reports on the Seligman Web site (see Resources below). These detailed reports include charts and graphs of the funds' most recent performances.

Take out your checkbook. If you've found a fund you're comfortable with, then you're ready. Invest with Seligman directly or through a financial adviser.

Now that you're invested, relax. This is a long process, so don't expect immediate results. Stay in touch with Seligman or your financial adviser.

Tips & Warnings

• Have long-term goals for your investment. Clear goals empower you to choose mutual funds that support those goals.
• Invest responsibly: mutual funds are not protected by the FDIC.
• Beware of expenses. Depending on the class of your fund, you could pay up to a 4.75 percent sales charge.
• Invest for the long term. If you redeem your assets too soon, you will pay fees as high as 5 percent.

Invest in Rockland Mutual Funds

Led by Richard H. Gould, Rockland Funds has been investing in small-market capitalizations since 1996. Gould's strategy is to invest in diverse stocks with strong potential. Follow these steps to invest in Rockland Funds.

Learn About and Invest in Rockland Mutual Funds

Look before you leap. Invest a sensible amount--not your life's savings--into these mutual funds. Though mutual funds consist of relatively safe investments, such as stocks and bonds, Rockland Funds invests 80 percent of its net assets in small capitalization companies. These diversified stocks contain a degree of investment risk.

Decide how much to invest. Rockland Funds requires a minimum investment of $2,000. You can invest this amount in one lump sum.

Enroll in an investment plan of $250 per month (for a minimum of 8 months) in lieu of the lump-sum payment. Be careful: if you invest for fewer than 90 days, you are subject to a 2 percent redemption fee.

Review the prospectus before you commit to an investment. This document details the company's goals, costs and performance.

Read the biannual, annual and past-performance reports to learn more about Rockland's performance history. Reports are available on the Rockland Funds Web site (see the Resources section below).

Call (800) 497-3933 or visit Rockland Funds online to receive or download an application. Fill it out and send it in. Upon receiving your application, the company will invest your money based on that day's market prices.

Expect Rockland Funds to promptly contact you with your account and portfolio information.

Be patient: remember, this is a long-term investment, and the market is bound to fluctuate. Don't panic if your stocks dip and dive. Rockland Funds will contact you if your investment dips below $2,000 for more than 30 days.

Brush up on your basics. If you need help reading your quarterly statements or want advice about your mutual funds during tax season, visit an online learning center like The Investment FAQ (see Resources below).

Tips & Warnings

• Rockland Funds establishes accounts based on current market prices.
• When you investigate a fund's past performance, note its volatility. If you're trying to meet short-term goals, you may be better off with a more stable fund.
• Any stock market investment can be risky. Invest within your comfort zone.
• Investment minimums are apt to change over time. Review current minimums at the fund's Web site before investing.

Invest in Mutual Funds From India

Investing in India or any foreign market may feel like a fool's errand if you don't have much market expertise to back up purchases. Mutual funds come to the rescue, allowing investors the opportunity to profit from India without in-depth knowledge of the Indian market. With a mutual fund from India, investors can pool their money with that of others and benefit from the market and investing expertise of a professional manager.

Indian Mutual Fund Types

Understand open-end mutual funds from India. These funds offer liquidity and the opportunity to purchase and sell shares at prices related to their net asset values (NAVs). They do not have a fixed maturity date.

Know that closed-ended options do have fixed maturities, ranging from 2 to 15 years. When these funds are initially introduced, you can invest in them directly. After the initial issue period, you can purchase them on the stock market.

Recognize that interval options combine features of open and closed-end funds. Shares of these funds from India may be traded on the stock market or bought and sold at set intervals.

Collecting Information

Understand that investing in foreign markets can offer you potential for capital growth and income. However, there are special risks involved with investing overseas.

Determine whether market exposure to India already exists in your portfolio.

Discuss your objectives, risk tolerance and investment time horizon with a financial adviser or broker. Determine what portion of your portfolio to contribute to mutual funds from India.

Understand that mutual funds from India may be affected by world events, as well as political and economic changes.

Realize that there is currency risk involved when you invest in mutual funds from India.

Visit MorningStar.com or Lipperweb.com and research mutual funds from India.

Obtain prospectuses and performance information on the funds that interest you. Read them carefully before you decide to invest.

With the help of your financial adviser or broker, determine the funds that best suit your needs and decide how much to invest. Purchase shares through your advisor or broker.

Tips & Warnings

• Though it is possible to invest in mutual funds from India without help from an investment professional, these professionals can help you to avoid costly mistakes.
• Generally, mutual funds that focus on one foreign country only are considered very risky. They are generally not recommended for investors in need of a great deal of investment security.

Invest in Liberty Mutual Funds

For more than two decades, Liberty All-Star Funds have been available to investors. These funds employ multi-management, allocating assets to a number of independent investment managers with varied styles of investing. The Liberty All-Star mutual funds allow investment managers to invest for the fund; each manager is allocated a specific portion of the fund's assets. This fund management strategy seeks a higher level of return consistency.

Get to Know Liberty Mutual Funds

Understand the Liberty All-Star Equity Fund. This fund strives for capital appreciation on a long-term basis, as well as current income. No less than 80 percent of the fund's net assets are invested in diverse equity securities.

Know that the Liberty All-Star Growth Fund targets the long-term growth of capital. Its primary investment is equity securities.

Recognize that both funds allocate assets to different investment managers, in equal amounts.

Understand that the Liberty All-Star Equity fund and the All-Star Growth Fund are both closed-end funds. You cannot invest in these funds in the same manner as you would buy shares of another mutual fund. Instead, you must purchase shares on the open market, like stocks.

Purchasing Funds

Realize that these funds are traded just like other stocks, according to supply and demand.

Request a literature pack for written information about Liberty mutual funds before you decide to invest; prospectuses are not available.

Download reports, fact sheets, brochures and monthly updates at All-StarFunds.com. You'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view these documents.

Check Liberty All-Star fund net asset values at All-StarFunds.com. They are updated daily.

Contact a financial adviser, broker or investment service capable of helping you to purchase stocks, then make your initial purchase.

Tips & Warnings

• The multi-management strategy is used by many large institutions in managing assets for pension and endowment plans.
• After you invest in a Liberty All-Star fund for the first time, you may choose to transfer your shares to Computershare. Computershare is the transfer agent for both funds. Once the transfer is complete, you can buy and sell shares through the transfer agent.
• Closed-end mutual funds allow you the opportunity to benefit from professional management, as well as significantly lower expenses.
• Once you register with Computershare, you have the option of enrolling in an automatic dividend reinvestment plan, allowing you to reinvest quarterly dividends.

Invest in Hartford Mutual Funds

The name that many know as one of the insurance giants is now a player in the mutual fund industry. Hartford mutual funds were only begun 10 years ago, but their performance has been solid. In fact, Hartford posted the No. 2 U.S. Equity Fund Family Performance for the year 2005, and has garnered several awards for customer service. Hartford now offers investors nearly 50 choices of mutual funds.

Decide how much you want to invest and what sort of risk for which you're ready. Consult a financial planner to understand exactly what your investment potential is.

Research using Web sites such as The Investment FAQ, listed in Resources below, for objective background on investing in general and mutual funds in particular.

Further your research using Hartford's Web site, listed in Resources below. They offer lots of helpful information for both new and seasoned investors and let you ask questions if you have any.

Decide on your general focus of mutual funds: Hartford offers a wide choice of types of funds that includes specific industries, such as communications and health; domestic equity; growth, blend, or value funds; and fixed income funds.

Talk to your investment advisor, either at Hartford or on the outside, about narrowing down to several specific funds.

Order the prospectus for each of these funds and read each prospectus carefully.

Make your investment through your investment advisor.

Tips & Warnings

• Take advantage of the mutual fund newsletters offered by Hartford as well as their online article archive.
• Hartford offers mutual fund direction for specific goals such as retirement. If this is the main purpose of your investment, consider investing in the Hartford Target Retirement mutual funds, each of which is designed to be an all-encompassing plan for retirement objectives.
• Remember that the stock market is volatile by nature so you cannot count on past performance predicting the future.
• Don't let investing slip down on your to-do list simply for lack of understanding. If you don't feel like you know enough to talk to an advisor yet, do some more basic research and then make the call. They are used to introducing investors to this often-complicated field.

Invest in Closed-End Mutual Funds

Closed-end mutual funds offer a specific number of shares for sale. After the initial offering, closed-end mutual fund shares are traded on a secondary market, like the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) or the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ). In this way, they are handled much like common stocks. Share prices for closed- end mutual funds are set according to demand, rather than net asset value. More information can be found by visiting the Closed-End Fund Association's website (a link to the site is located in the Resources section below).

Instructions

Take the time to carefully consider your objectives and determine the ways in which a closed-end mutual fund may help you to meet them. Realize that closed-end funds vary widely in terms of investment objectives, portfolios and strategies used.

Recognize that closed-end mutual funds may carry risks that differ from those of other mutual funds. Learn what to expect in terms of volatility and expenses.

Do your research before you invest in closed-end funds. These funds are regulated by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as well as the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Understand that shares of a closed-end mutual fund are not redeemed, allowing the fund to invest more of its assets in less liquid securities.

Realize that net asset value numbers are less meaningful with closed-end funds than they are with other mutual funds. Closed-end funds may not receive daily holding valuations for all assets.

Research and compare closed-end funds at Closed-EndFunds.com. Determine the funds that fit best with your investment objectives.

Understand that you will need to follow the same procedures to invest in closed-end funds as you do to buy stocks. The market price of shares is set according to competitive bidding.

With the assistance of a broker or financial advisor, purchase shares of the closed-end fund of your choice or purchase shares via a transfer agent.

Tips & Warnings

• You are able to control the timing of your share purchases with closed-end mutual funds. Using limit orders, you can set the price you want to pay; your order will not be executed unless and until the share prices match your designated order price.
• Some funds require a brokerage account while others allow investors to purchase shares directly from a transfer agent, eliminating the need for a broker.

Invest in CIBC Mutual Funds

CIBC Securities Inc. is a leading Canadian mutual fund firm. As the largest mutual fund in Canada, CIBC offers a range of funds aimed at savings, current income and growth. The company also offers one of the largest Canadian index fund families and professionally managed portfolios.

Instructions

Consider your objectives and compare them to the available CIBC mutual fund categories. Each CIBC mutual fund has a clearly stated objective, making it simple to find a fund to meet your needs.

Learn about CIBC savings funds. Primarily focused on money-market investments, savings funds target the regular production of income while protecting investment value. These funds are considered low risk and can provide you with fast access to your money.

Evaluate CIBC income funds for a focus on generating more income than savings funds. These low- to medium-risk mutual funds are primarily invested in fixed-income securities and are designed to provide a bit of long-term capital appreciation.

Get to know CIBC growth funds. These funds focus on stocks from a variety of companies for the purpose of capital appreciation. They are considered a higher risk because of their focus on growth.

Consider taking advantage of CIBC's managed portfolio services. With this service, you'll have help from leading investment managers who will help you to select the most suitable mutual funds and continuously monitor your portfolio.

Decide which CIBC mutual funds match your objectives and review their prospectuses, as well as the full range of information that is provided on CIBC.com. Alternatively, you may request prospectuses or an investment kit by phone.

With help from a trusted financial professional, choose the CIBC mutual funds you desire and begin purchasing shares.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are unsure of how to best invest your money, use the investment selector at CIBC.com to help you in considering your options.
• While you may find investing in mutual funds through a broker or financial advisor advantageous, CIBC offers InvestorsEdge, information geared toward the needs of the self-directed investor, on their Web site.
• Mutual funds can be considered fairly liquid. This means you can generally sell your shares with little difficulty, getting your hands on cash when you need it.
• Keep in mind that many mutual fund companies offer two ways to make your initial investment. You can invest by making a lump-sum investment or you can choose to enroll in an automatic investment plan.

Invest In Ariel Mutual Funds

Ariel Capital Management, LLC has been concentrating on investing in small and medium-sized businesses since 1983. The company offers three no-load mutual funds that focus on companies with undervalued share prices. The mutual fund focus at Ariel is to avoid the trends and take a steady approach to providing long-term capital appreciation. Ariel favors research, focus and persistence over speed and glamour. Privately owned and based in Chicago, Ariel manages more than $16 billion in assets.

Instructions

Develop your investment objectives and write them down.

Review available Ariel mutual funds with your objectives in mind.

Learn about the Ariel Appreciation Fund; it seeks the long-term appreciation of capital through mid-cap value investments. The fund's ticker symbol is CAAPX and its newspaper symbol is Apprec. The Ariel Appreciation Fund had $2.7 billion in assets in September 2006.

Review information concerning the Ariel Focus Fund, stock ticker symbol ARFFX. This fund is managed with a mid- to large-cap value style, seeking long-term capital growth. Its net assets totaled $29 million in September 2006.

Consider the Ariel Fund, stock ticker symbol ARGFX and newspaper symbol Ariel. This fund focuses on small- to mid-cap stocks and had $4.3 billion in assets in September 2006.

Make your first move to invest in Ariel mutual funds; open an account online at ArielMutualFunds.com. Alternatively, you may choose to invest in an Ariel fund by printing an online application and mailing it with your opening investment check.

Tips & Warnings

• Ariel Mutual funds carry no load or sales charge. However, request and read the prospectus for the Ariel fund you are considering to learn of any other charges.
• Ariel mutual funds are only available to citizens or resident aliens of the United States. To purchase shares of Ariel mutual funds, you must live within the United States or its territories. A United States military address is acceptable for opening an account with Ariel as well.
• When comparing savings accounts to mutual funds, there's really no contest. Savings accounts earn very little interest in comparison to most mutual funds. Unlike mutual fund accounts, however, savings accounts are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).
• Keep in mind that Ariel mutual funds are not diversified. This means they may be more volatile than diversified funds. Likewise, small- to mid-cap investment strategies may require more risk than large-cap stock strategies.

Find The Top 100 Mutual Funds

There is no shortage of mutual funds to choose from. With more than 8,000 mutual funds available to the public, knowing how to find the top 100 mutual funds is no mean feat for the small investor. Relying on professionals is the way to go if you want to find the best-performing mutual funds.

Finding the Top 100 Mutual Funds

Determine how much money you want to invest and for how long.

Begin by browsing the personal finance section of your local library or bookstore for mutual fund advice.

Explore search engines online with phrases like 'top mutual funds' or 'top 100 mutual funds'.

Look for investment sites geared toward investors with no personal or professional attachment to any particular mutual funds.

Cross-reference your lists to see which mutual funds appear consistently.

Choose a small number of mutual funds that appear on each list to research further.

Tips & Warnings

• Different sites and businesses rate mutual funds differently, so the top 100 at one site may not be the same as the top 100 at another. Consider these lists with a grain of salt, or learn what criteria the investors use to choose their funds.
• Top 100 funds often mean top-performing funds, or the funds with the best returns. Since there is more to a smart fund than having great returns, check each site's list to find what their criteria are for being on 'top.'
• You are the only one who knows exactly what you want from your investments.
• Don't get involved with a highly rated fund without exploring it and making sure it will work for your needs.
• Check the source of your Top 100 list to ensure that there is no conflict of interest: investment firms have a lot to gain by rating their own mutual funds highly.

Find The Best No-Load Mutual Funds

No-load mutual funds can be a sensible option for investors. With a no-load fund, there are no commission fees (loads) that would decrease the overall amount of your investment, as there are with front-end and back-end load funds. But how do you find the best no-load mutual funds? Research, ask questions and go with your gut.

How to Find the Best No-Load Mutual Funds for You

Make a list of no-load mutual funds that are performing well. You can find lists like these by using a search engine, visiting a well-known investment site like Charles Schwab or by checking investment magazines.

Research the investments each mutual fund has made, focusing on performance and diversity.

Look for funds with tenured managers: that is, managers who have been with the fund for at least 5 years. Find out any previous funds they have managed and how they performed, especially during market downturns.

Determine which funds match your investment goals, risk tolerance and buying power.

Read the mutual fund's prospectus carefully for any hidden fees or high 12B-1 (marketing) fees.

Once you have found the funds for you, invest your money and leave it there. Mutual funds do better with long-term investing.

Tips & Warnings

• While no-load funds are better in the sense that you aren't paying anyone to allow you to buy into a mutual fund, load funds shouldn't be dismissed outright. If you can afford the fees and the fund is working for you, there is no reason to dump it in favor of an untried no-load fund.
• No-load funds do not necessarily outperform load funds, even when taking fees into account.
• As with any investment, mutual funds carry different levels of risk. A high-risk no-load fund may not be as good for you as a back-end load fund (with commission fee) with little risk involved. The fee should not be the only factor you consider when choosing your mutual funds.
• Even no-load funds involve fees for participating, although the fees are generally low.

Measure a Funds Annual Return

When you're choosing mutual funds, one of the key things you're probably looking for is how well the fund is doing. The annual return tells you how much money the fund has made or lost over the last year. It also tells you the average annual return over the last 3, 5 and 10 years. To measure your fund's annual return, you need to learn to read a mutual fund bar chart. The fund chart tells you general information about the fund, its ranking relative to other funds in its category and its past performance.

How to Read a Mutual Fund Chart

Open your prospectus to the annual returns chart (generally found in the first few pages).

Find the name of the mutual fund you are interested in along the left-hand side of the chart.

Look at the first column in your mutual fund annual return chart to find the assets. These are the total assets belonging to the mutual fund. They are made up of all the money invested by all the shareholders.

Understand that if the first column of your chart does not show total assets, it shows the year-to-date returns for the fund. If the first column shows assets, the year-to-date return is the second column.

Move to the next columns (in order from left to right) to find the 1-year, 3-year, 5-year and 10-year returns.

Realize that if your mutual fund is less than 10 years old, it may include a final column that shows the returns since the mutual fund developed.

Follow along the columns from left to right along the same line where you found the mutual fund's name.

Understand that if your mutual fund report includes its relative ranking, the rank will follow the period of time it is for.

Tips & Warnings

• To measure mutual funds, check out their long-term performances, not just the past year.
• A mutual fund chart is a picture generally found in the first few pages of your prospectus or annual report.
• The numbers reported in your annual return report are percentages.
• Mutual funds are ranked comparatively to others of their same type and size.
• You should never assume that past performance is indicative of future performance. When you measure annual returns, you should just be looking at how the fund has done generally over the past years.
• Not all mutual fund charts are exactly the same, so look carefully to see what yours is telling you.

How to Manage a Growth Fund

The way to manage a growth fund is to diversify your portfolio as much as possible. A growth fund's main goal is earnings for the investor, so while they can be risky, the payoffs can also be high. Growth funds generally invest in companies that then reinvest in research or growth. Unless you have a thorough understanding of investing and the stock market, your best bet is to hire a fund manager.

Managing Your Growth Fund

Make a list of several different funds you may wish to manage. You can find mutual funds lists at Morningstar. Check out their 1-, 5- and 10-year performances to give you an idea of their stability and growth.

Choose the growth fund you wish to invest in and manage based on risk factor, performance, cost and duration.

Consider your growth fund alongside your other investments to make sure it complements your portfolio.

Decide how much money you intend to invest and whether you want to invest a lump sum or on a monthly basis.

Follow the market carefully to see how your fund is doing. Consider any advice from your broker or manager about selling.

Be prepared for large upswings and downturns. If you find the risk involved is causing you too much stress, sell and talk with your financial advisor about lower-risk investment options.

Tips & Warnings

• Learn something about the mutual fund you choose to invest in, and get to know some information about your manager and his track record. An educated investor is a more successful investor.
• Keep your tax advisor in the loop. Investing in mutual funds can have significant tax consequences. Make sure your tax planner knows about the investments you plan to make.
• Listen to the manager. Fund managers typically issue quarterly or yearly updates, explaining their investing philosophy for the prior and upcoming quarters. Read these updates to make sure the fund manager's philosophy still reflects your investing goals.
• Growth funds can earn you a lot of money quickly, but their risk level is fairly high. Don't get involved with a growth fund if you aren't sure what you are doing or if you can't afford to lose the money you invest.

Invest in Real Estate Investment Trust Mutual Funds

REITs, or Real Estate Investment Trusts, are like mutual funds in that they offer a larger fund investment opportunity that is professionally managed. Unlike mutual funds, REITs focus on the real estate sector only, and were created as a tax protection to some corporations, as well as a way for regular people to invest in commercial real estate. REIT mutual funds allow for one investment in a portfolio of REITs.

Get a solid understanding of REITs by visiting the National Association Real Estate Investment Trusts Web site, listed in Resources below, or any site with instructions for first-time investors, a glossary of REIT-specific terminology and helpful articles.

Work with someone with experience. Getting a broker or financial professional with experience investing in REIT mutual funds is a good idea, as this is a fairly specific type of investment. Knowledge is power, and if you don't have it you can be putting yourself at a disadvantage.

Order the prospectus for each REIT mutual fund in which you're interested.

Read each prospectus thoroughly and decide on the one that best fits your financial goals and investment capabilities. The prospectus contains the specifics of each mutual fund, as well as information about the risks of investing.

Contact your investment advisor to make your initial investment.

Tips & Warnings

• REITs are required by IRS law to pay out annual dividends of 90 percent of their taxable income. If one of your financial goals is a relatively liquid mutual fund investment, a REIT may be a good choice for you.
• A REIT is not an uncommon choice for an investment portfolio, but it should not make up more than 5 percent to 10 percent of one.
• Due to IRS distribution laws, REITs do not make the best instruments for growth.
• An investment in a REIT is not an investment made in specific commercial properties, but rather it's an investment in larger companies that manage the REITs. Each REIT, in turn, has a manager as well.
• Unless you're particularly interested in the liquidity of a REIT or in commercial real estate specifically, it may make more sense to invest in a more diverse mutual fund.

Invest in OCM Mutual Funds

The OCM Gold fund, OCMGX, is managed by Greg Orell. As the president of Orell Capital Management, Greg Orell has managed the fund since its inception in 1988. The OCM Gold fund is a load fund that focuses on precious metals. As of October 2006, the fund's assets totaled $106 million. OCM Gold invests primarily in the United States and Canada, but has some holdings in South Africa, the United Kingdom and Australia.

Get to Know the OCM Gold Fund

Understand the OCM Gold fund's objectives. Like similar funds, this mutual fund seeks long-term capital appreciation.

Know that the OCM Gold fund invests no less that 80 percent of its assets in American and foreign companies that are involved in the gold mining industry. The fund invests in companies of all sizes.

Recognize that the fund invests mostly in gold producers and gold-mining royalty companies. It also invests on a secondary level in companies that explore and develop gold mining.

Understand that the fund's main investment is in common stocks.

Gathering Information

Visit MorningStar.com and click the "Funds" link on the bar near the top of the page.

Click "Premium Fund Screener"

Select "Fund Name" from the data drop-down box.

Type "OCM Gold" in the last box of the pop-up window that appears and click "Okay". Click the gray arrow on the next page to move forward.

Click the "OCM Gold" link on this page. You'll find OCM Gold performance, management, expense and holding information in this section. Use the navigation links at the left to locate the information you need.

Click "Purchase Info" to find the address and phone number for the fund. Use this information to request a prospectus.

Determine the amount you'd like to invest in the OCM gold fund. The minimum initial investment is $1,000.

With the help of your broker or advisor, buy shares of the OCM Gold fund.

Tips & Warnings

• You'll need to register for a premium account to use the premium mutual fund screener at MorningStar.com. MorningStar offers a free 14-day trial for its premium accounts.
• MorningStar.com offers ratings for the OCM Gold fund, as well as an abundance of other mutual funds. These ratings can be helpful in making mutual fund investment decisions.
• You can invest in OCM Gold by enrolling in an automatic investment program. The minimum investment is $1,000. Subsequent investments must be at least $50.

Invest in Large Cap Mutual Funds

When you want to invest in the big dogs, large cap mutual funds may be the way to go. These funds strive for the appreciation of capital through primary investments in blue-chip company stocks. Investments are chosen based on the potential for high earnings and growth. Typically, these funds invest in companies that boast market values in excess of $8 to $10 billion. However, the market-cap range can vary, depending on its source.

Understanding Large Cap Funds

Recognize that large cap mutual funds represent less risk and lower returns. This is due to the fact that large cap companies are well-researched and typically have solid histories of performance. However, this does not mean that there is no risk at all.

Know that large cap mutual fund investments are less volatile than investments in smaller companies. They may be useful for shoring up a diversified investment portfolio.

Understand that not all large cap mutual funds are created equal. Each fund has unique objectives, strategies, expenses and performance records. Carefully review available information about the funds you are considering, making certain that they are in line with your investment objectives and risk tolerance.

Understand that, due to their size, large cap funds often mimic an index, like the Standard and Poor's (S&P) 500, finding it necessary to invest in large companies that are in major market indexes. This is due to the restrictions placed on mutual funds in terms of the level of ownership they can have in one company. Typically, they are permitted to have no more than 10 percent ownership in any company.

Recognize that there are both large cap income funds, concentrating on returns with lower risk, and large cap growth funds that focus on capital appreciation while keeping risk manageable. Research the funds best suited to your investment objectives.

Choosing a Fund

Consider your time horizon and your investment objectives.

Discuss large cap funds with a financial adviser. With this person's help, decide how much to invest in large cap funds to stay true to your investment objectives.

Use MorningStar.com or LipperWeb.com to find, research and compare large cap funds.

Request and review the prospectuses of several attractive large cap funds. Decide the funds in which you'd like to invest.

Determine the amount you want to invest in the large cap funds of your choice.

Purchase shares through an investment adviser or contact the funds directly.

Invest in Eaton Vance Mutual Funds

Together with its affiliates, Eaton Vance manages in excess of 70 different mutual funds. Concentrating on the investment objectives of affluent investors, Eaton Vance is well known for its leadership in tax-managed investments. In fact, Eaton Vance led the way for the first tax-minimizing equity funds, as well as municipal funds targeting tax-exempt earnings. The company is further credited with introducing some of the first bank loan floating-rate mutual funds. For today's affluent investor, Eaton Vance offers a selection of domestic and international equity funds.

Consider ways in which Eaton Vance taxed-managed mutual funds may assist you in meeting your goals. These funds are managed with the purpose of keeping taxes to a minimum, even while shares are being sold off.

Determine whether choosing to invest in an Eaton Vance income fund is right for you. These funds focus on producing income, but are taxable.

Learn about Eaton Vance domestic-equity mutual funds and determine whether any are in line with your objectives. Domestic-equity mutual funds invest primarily in domestic common stocks, seeking capital appreciation.

Consider that Eaton Vance International and global equity funds invest primarily in stocks and include investments within foreign markets. The primary purpose of funds in this class is capital growth.

Be aware that Eaton Vance also offers national and state municipal income funds. These funds seek to preserve capital, while offering regular income that is exempt from federal or state taxes.

Recognize that, even with tax-exempt funds, a portion of your investment income may be taxable on a federal, state or local level. Read through mutual fund prospectuses carefully to become fully aware of any tax consequences.

Download and review the prospectuses of the funds that interest you and are in keeping with your investment objectives at EatonVance.com

Consult with a broker or a financial adviser regarding your investment choices. With that individual's advice in mind, invest in the Eaton Vance mutual funds best suited to your unique goals.

Tips & Warnings

• Eliminating taxes can go a long way toward boosting your investment income. Unlike some tax shelters, choosing to invest in municipal income funds is completely legal.
• Keep in mind that municipal bonds have a lower default rate than corporate bonds, making them a safer investment.
• Municipal bond fund yields tend to fluctuate according to market conditions and bond maturities.

Invest in a Roth IRA Mutual Fund

You have decided that you wish to invest in a Roth IRA and reap its benefits in retirement. You want to invest in a mutual fund, for a higher rate of return than a certificate of deposit or savings bond, with less risk than individual stocks.

How to Determine if a Roth IRA Mutual Fund is For You

First, do you meet the income requirements? You must have earned income, with an adjusted gross income on your taxes of less than $95,000. You can make a partial contribution with agi of $95,000 to $110,000. But, if your agi is more than $110,000 you will not be able to contribute to a Roth IRA.

Second, when will you want to access the money? A Roth IRA has an advantage because you can take the money you invested out at any time with no penalties or tax consequences, since the money you are investing is after-tax income. So, if you have an emergency you'll be able to access your money.

A Roth IRA also allows you to keep the money invested past age 70 1/2. A traditional IRA requires you to start taking money out at this age. So, if you plan to work into your nineties, this could be ideal for you.

The Roth IRA is also great if you work for yourself or change jobs often. You don't have to keep rolling over money to new investment plans as it can stay in the Roth IRA regardless of where you work or who you work for.

Once 5 years pass after your Roth IRA investment, contributions and earnings can be withdrawn penalty and tax free to buy a first-time home, or if you become disabled. In the event of your death, a beneficiary may withdrawal with no penalty or tax. Otherwise, you must wait until you reach age 59 1/2 to withdraw the earnings with the contributions.

In 2008, you may contribute $5000 or $6000 if you're more than 50. Each year after that, the amount will increase slightly based on the increases in the cost of living.

How to Set up the Account Itself

First, decide which mutual fund company to invest in. T Rowe Price is a good one that doesn't charge a sales fee (front-end load) for purchasing the funds. They have many different types of funds (domestic, international, small cap and large cap, etc.). The yearly expenses for holding the fund are also low. American Funds is another good one for the Roth IRA. Although you pay a commission up front, the dividends each year are high on many of their funds, and the company has a proven track record since the 1920s for many of the funds.

Once you choose a company, you need to decide which funds to invest in. You could simply pick a retirement fund for your projected retirement year. T Rowe Price has a Retirement 2040 fund, for those who will turn 65 in 2040. These types of funds change their overall investment portfolio from mostly stocks to a more conservative mixture closer to your retirement year.

Read the prospectus first! (An American and a T Rowe Price prospectus) Call the mutual fund company, and request a Roth IRA mutual fund investment form, as well as a prospectus for any fund you are interested in. You will want to read the prospectus to learn about the past history of performance, and what the fund is all about before you invest.

Once you receive and read the information, fill out the Roth IRA form, and choose your fund/s. Send this back to the company with a check for the amount of your investment.

Many companies allow you to view your account online, and watch the money grow. You can go to the company's website, and set up your account online. You can then even make contributions online from that point on.

Tips & Warnings

• The Roth IRA is great because when you go to withdraw the money once you reach age 59 1/2, you don't have to worry about paying the taxes at that time, since you were already taxed on this money when you originally earned it as income.
• If you have a large income, well over $100,000, you will have to consider some other form of retirement planning.
• Retirement-based funds are good for Roth IRAs. You could also choose funds that do well over the long term, such as large-cap stock funds.
• Pick funds that distribute strong dividends each year, which will be reinvested and help keep your money growing.
• Some companies may allow you to set up your account initially and invest funds all online. You'll have to find out the policies for the company you decide on.
• You can invest different places each year. Maybe one year you'll pick American and the next year T Rowe Price. You can even break up the $5,000 for 1 year among different companies (just don't go over the limit to invest!)
• When picking a mutual fund, you may want to think twice before using a specialized fund or 'hot now' fund, since you will be keeping the money there for maybe 30 or 40 years (depending on your age). If you pick a fund that his hot now, it could cool off in 2 years, and then your investment might not make much more in the years to come.
• Don't go over your maximum allowable contribution each year, or you will face taxes and penalties!
• If you don't have a good knowledge of finances and mutual funds, you should get an advisor to help you decide what investments to make with your money.

Invest In A Load Fund

When mutual funds include sales charges in the price of shares, they are called load funds. A load is a sales charge or commission that compensates the broker or middleman for selling shares of the fund. Essentially, you are expected to benefit from the advice of the broker assisting you with purchasing your mutual fund shares, making the load worth it.

Instructions for Investing in Load Funds

Record your investment objectives on paper or on your computer. Decide whether you are investing to save for retirement, to send a child to college, or to meet other goals.

Evaluate the acceptable level of risk for your load fund investments. Keep your risk tolerance in mind when selecting load funds.

Decide what percentage of your investments you'd like to allocate to load funds. Do not deviate from this percentage unless you have good cause to do so or the change is advised by a trusted financial professional.

Begin researching load funds. Use an independent mutual fund service, like Morningstar (a link to which can be found in the Resources section below), to research and evaluate load funds.

Request a prospectus for each load fund you are considering. Review it thoroughly to determine details of the load fund's objectives, investment plans, associated fees, level of risk, and tax considerations, as well as information regarding the fund's manager.

Consider a load fund's performance, as well as its volatility, before you decide to invest in it. Review its expenses as well, as they are deducted from investor proceeds.

Contact a broker, financial advisor, bank, or insurance agent to purchase shares in the load fund you've chosen.

Tips & Warnings

• More aggressive funds tend to have higher risk levels, but often offer higher rates of return. Less aggressive funds require less risk, but tend to offer lower rates of return. Select the load fund that best fits your level of risk tolerance.
• A load fund may carry a front load or a back load. A front load is added when you purchase shares and a back load is added when you sell shares. A load can be up to 8 1/2 percent of the amount you invest.
• Be aware that Morningstar provides information comparing a particular fund's performance against that of similar funds.
• As you are paying a sales charge, be sure to solicit the advice of the professional with whom you choose to work.

How to hedge falling US dollar currency

With US dollar falling over the last few years, particularly over the past year, it would be a good idea to hedge your investment wisely. Often I come across the argument that falling dollar only matters if you are transferring money outside of USA and/or traveling abroad. While there is some truth to this assumption, this is largely inaccurate in this global economy. Following are some easy ways to counter falling dollar and perhaps make some money while at it.

If you want to play other currencies directly, a simple option would be to trade their tracking Exchange Traded Fund such as FXE (for Euro), FXC (Canadian$). You can buy and sell them just like you would any other stock without special transaction fees. They pay interest just like your savings account. The other option would be to open FOREX trading account or buy currency funds such as UDN or physically buy the currency.

Be smart about your portfolio picks. There is nothing wrong with sticking with the US companies that you know and trust but keep in mind that companies that have business abroad would likely give you better return on investment due to conversion rate and hence offer excellent hedging. Think of Coke, Pepsi, Procter & Gamble, Phillip Morris etc

Buy foreign stock market ETFs and mutual funds. Emerging markets are on a tear in the recent past, especially the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, Indian and China). While they have taken a beating along with the US down turn market in the recent past, emerging market's fundamentals remain strong and hence they would continue to return better into the foreseeable future. Just search “emerging market” or your favorite country’s name (such as “India”) in your online broker's account. PowerShares and iPath offers excellent ETFs.

Buy foreign stocks. If you are able to research companies listed in other markets, you have couple of ways to buy their stocks. You can either open trading accounts in the market of your choice (most brokers would support this. Tip: pay attention to transaction fees) or you can look for ADRs of foreign companies which are listed in NYSE (such as INFY).

Buy Gold and other precious metals. Gold is the universal currency that you should consider having in your portfolio as a means of diversification as well as guarding against inflation. ETF such as GLD is an easy way to play gold. Tip: unless you have time to research, it is better to stay away from buying individual miners and avoid inheriting their operating risks.

Buy commodities. Oil, Wheat, Corn, Soy and pretty much all staple commodities have been on the tear due to falling dollar and inflation. There are plenty of ways you can play, right from buying commodity ETFs to trading in Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

Act now and then relax, knowing that your investment strategy is working hard for you whether or not your dollar is.

Gauge a Morningstar Risk

In order to give investors an idea about the variation in a fund's month to month return, Morningstar developed a system known as the Morningstar risk. It basically tells investors how frequently a given fund loses money compared to a relatively risk-free venture, such as the U.S. government T-bill. It's a fantastic tool to have when choosing funds to buy, as well as monitoring existing funds in your portfolio. All investors can benefit by learning more about how to gauge a Morningstar risk.

Gauge a Morningstar Risk

Analyze the theory behind the Morningstar risk rating. The average investor is risk-adverse, a situation that signals the need for a mathematically based risk-rating system. Risk is estimated by computing a risk penalty for each fund.

Understand how the Morningstar risk rating works. The risk rating is developed by taking the result of the difference between the raw return of the fund and its risk-adjusted return.

Find out what category your fund is in. Morningstar divides all funds into distinct categories to avoid confusion and comparisons.

Learn how the risk system is ranked. All funds are ranked from high to low, based on their risk penalties. The wider the month-to-month variation is for a given fund, the higher its risk factor.

Figure out where your fund lies. The top 10 percent of funds is considered high risk by Morningstar, with the next 22.5 percent considered to be above average risk. The middle 35 percent is called average and the bottom 22.5 percent is below average. Only the bottom 10 percent of funds are given the designation of being low risk.

Gauge your risk. If your fund is rated average and above, that's a clear indicator that it is expected to come with little serious risk.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep in mind that Morningstar risk calculations have an emphasis on downward variation.
• The risk-adjusted return is based on the economic theory of expected utility. Simply put, this states that investors are more concerned about unexpected financial loss than with the potential of making large amounts of money.
• The less variation there is in a fund from month to month, the lower the risk rating. Conversely, the more the variation, the higher the risk rating.
• The Morningstar risk system is relative, meaning it is only applicable to funds in the same category. Don't try to compare funds from two different categories.

How to Choose a Mutual Fund Family

Mutual funds are part of a family of funds created by one company. It is important to use the same fund family when investing to get break points, smaller fees, on the money invested. Different asset classes and types of funds allow you to tweak your investment for the market conditions, without new sales charges. You can choose a good mutual fund family by looking for a few key elements.

Check for asset classes. The fund family may have 100 funds and yet not have the 3 main asset classes. Stocks, bonds and cash or fixed investments are necessary to create a good portfolio.

See if they have all types of stock funds, both U.S. based and international. No particular types of stocks perform well all the time. Usually small cap growth funds will perform well under different conditions than a large cap value fund. In order to balance a portfolio you need to have a little of everything. You won’t make an overnight fortune, but you won’t lose one either.

Investigate the selection of bond funds. Different types of bond funds perform differently, just like the stock funds. A high yield bond fund tends to perform the opposite of a long-term government bond.

Look at the 10-year return. If very few funds of a specific asset class have a 10-year return find out why. Many companies that have poor return histories will drop old funds and create new ones so the returns look better.

Be aware that a fund may have a higher yield even though there are fees. No load funds can be great but if you have to pay a fee, and yet make more money, the fee is not a bad thing.

Look for ratings. Several companies rate mutual funds. Ask the company representative how many 4 and 5 star funds the family of funds contains. When you choose a mutual fund family this is important information.

Buy From a Fund Supermarket

If you're looking to create an investment portfolio with a little variety, your best bet may be to buy from a fund supermarket. These brokerage firms offer investors the opportunity to purchase funds from a wide range of fund families in one place. Furthermore, shares purchased through a fund supermarket come with lower fees than those purchased through a broker. Find out more about fund supermarkets and learn how to evaluate which one is best for your investments.

Understanding a Fund Supermarket

Understand how fund supermarkets work. Fund supermarkets are not as impartial as they may seem on the surface. The firm will have an interest in specific funds, and it will offer perks to investors purchasing these funds through the supermarket. Other funds pay anywhere from 0.25 percent to 0.35 percent to have their products featured on a fund supermarket.

Find out about transaction fees right away. Most fund supermarkets will sell shares of their own funds without a transaction fee. Shares for other fund families will have a transaction fee, however.

Work with a fund supermarket that is easy to navigate. The point of the fund supermarket is simplicity.

Ask about redemption fees. Some fund supermarkets charge a 1 percent fee for early redemption to encourage investors to hang onto their funds.

Learn about the services offered by fund supermarkets. Some funds offer supplemental tax reports, while others prefer to give their investors a wide range of business services.

Look for ways to invest in special funds. It is common for fund supermarkets to offer lower minimum investments, which opens up a lot of formerly financially prohibitive funds to individual investors.

Study the privacy policy of the supermarket. In the majority of cases, your private information is guarded from everyone outside of the supermarket, including your fund manager. However, it's better to confirm the privacy policy ahead of time.

Search the supermarket for the funds you're interested in. Some supermarkets have over 1,000 different funds available to help you make your decision.

Buy your shares directly online. Every reputable fund supermarket has secure online ordering.

Manage a Hedge Fund

You've probably heard of hedge funds, but have little to no idea what they are. Welcome to the club. Most people mistakenly believe hedge funds are the same as mutual funds. In fact, there are significant differences between the two. It is important to understand exactly what a hedge fund is and how it operates, especially if you are considering investing in one.

Understanding a Hedge Fund

Learn about hedge funds. Hedge funds deal entirely with private investments. Unlike mutual funds, hedge funds are not regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or any other regulating body.

Decide whether you have enough money. In order to invest in a hedge fund, you must have a great deal of capital. The average minimum investment in a hedge fund as of 2006 was $1 million.

Determine how many shares are left in a potential fund. Only 499 investors can purchase shares in a hedge fund at any given time. These investors are known as "limited partners."

Find out whether you're eligible to invest. The purchase of hedge fund shares is limited to accredited investors. To be an accredited investor, you must have a net worth of over $1 million or an income in excess of $200,000 each year.

Consider the miscellaneous fees. There are no limits on the fees that hedge funds can charge. Due to this, most hedge funds charge much higher fees than mutual funds. In fact, don't be surprised to see clauses requiring 20 percent of the profit you make. A portion of these fees helps manage the fund, but not all.

Look at your short-term goals. Do you need your money right away? You may find it difficult to manage your fund. Selling shares in a hedge fund can be nearly impossible. It is not uncommon to find hedge funds that allow redemptions only quarterly, or even annually.

Examine the whole picture. Hedge funds rely on strategies to manage funds during market downturns. However, while some hedge funds are able to perform quite well during rough times, it is unlikely that most hedge funds would beat a market index.

How to possibly make more money than in the stock market

Tired of losing money in stock market, in your retirement funds, in the bank. Here is an alternative.

In todays market, it is hard to make money for your investments.
First you should decide if your current plan will be ok in time (once market straightens itself out)

If you decide to change or add to your investment portfolio, one option to consider is lending money to others.

In a way, you become a "bank" loaning money with interest.

One such site to view is http://www.prosper.com/join/pathfinderonline
You will need to bid on the loan and win the bid. In addition there are fees given back to the site.

In todays market, it is worthwhile to check out all options.

Invest in RS Investments Mutual Funds

Founded in 1986, San Francisco's RS Investments has a history of success. The financial rating groups Morningstar and Lipper have highly ranked several of RS's mutual funds. Follow these steps to invest in them.

Invest in RS Investments Mutual Funds

Understand the risks. Though a mutual fund's diverse nature makes it safer than most investments, these funds cannot guarantee to return a profit. You can even lose your investment.

Temper your expectations. Mutual funds are long-term investments, so don't invest hoping to land a big score in a matter of months.

Study the details. Every investment firm has different fees and costs. However, unlike many mutual funds, RS Investments allows for immediate liquidation based on the day's market value.

Read the RS prospectus before investing. This document, which explains the firm's goals and present performance, is available on the RS Web site (see the Resources section below).

Research your fund. It's a good idea to know how well a fund performs before investing in it. You can access annual and semiannual reports of the funds on the RS Web site.

Contact a financial adviser, especially if you're not a seasoned investor. Many financial advisers are relatively inexpensive. Rely on your financial adviser to handle the technicalities of investing in RS mutual funds.

Follow your portfolio. Though one benefit of mutual funds is freedom from most investment responsibilities, you should regularly monitor the fund's performance.

Keep cool. The market continually fluctuates, so if your investment depreciates, don't panic.

Check your facts. To learn more about mutual funds and investing, search online or visit your local library. The Investment FAQ is a great Web site for general investment knowledge (see Resources below).

Invest in Mutual Series Funds

Led by CEO Peter Langerman, Mutual Series funds focus on undervalued stocks. This strategy allows the company to reduce risk. With over 50 years of experience, this branch of Franklin Templeton Investments has a proven track record. Follow these steps to invest in Mutual Series funds.

Learn About and Invest in Mutual Series Funds

Determine your goals. Mutual funds vary from conservative to aggressive. Whether you're investing toward your retirement or a down payment on a house, there's a fund that's right for you.

Keep in mind that mutual funds are generally long-term investments. Invest only what you can afford.

Consider college. If you live in New Jersey, look into the 529 college savings plans that Mutual Series has to offer. Remember, an investment in education requires caution; contact a financial adviser for professional help.

Aspire to retire. College plans aren't the only thing Mutual Series has to offer. Consider one of the group's more conservative retirement plans.

Research operating costs and fees. Many mutual funds have loads, which are enrollment fees. Furthermore, since a team of professionals manages the mutual funds, all investors must pay a percentage of the operating costs.

Redeem at the right time. Like other mutual funds, Mutual Series funds subject investors to an early redemption fee. Wait at least 60 days before liquidating your assets.

Download the prospectus, which outlines a fund's objectives, assesses its risks and discusses its performance. Carefully read the prospectus before investing.

Look into the past. Before you choose a fund, check its record. You can get a snapshot of the fund's performance on the Franklin Templeton Investments Web site (see the Resources section below). Make sure it performs to your standards.

Contact a financial adviser. It pays to have a professional on your side. Plus, since you cannot directly invest in Mutual Series funds, you'll need a financial adviser to handle your investment.

Keep up with the changes in the market and the performance of your fund. Remember, don't panic if your fund depreciates; it's a natural part of the market cycle.

Use Benchmarks to Compare Mutual Fund Returns

If you have a varied portfolio it may be difficult to compare investment returns. Each type of investment has its own market conditions that favor its growth. Comparing a bond fund return to a stock return is like comparing an apple with a lemon. To find if your investments are performing, learn to use benchmarks to compare investment returns.

Know the type of fund that you own. If it is a stock fund, find out if it is large, mid or small cap. Find out if the fund is a value or a growth fund. You will need to know the type of fund to use benchmarks to compare the fund returns. Check your prospectus for the information.

Look at the Dow. The Dow is a collection of 30 large cap stocks. If you have large cap mutual funds then you should be getting the same average as the Dow.

Track the S&P 500. The S&P 500 is a blend of 60% Growth stocks that are a mix of large and mid caps, and 40% value stocks of the same mix. Use the benchmark S&P 500 to compare the return of your large and mid cap value and stock funds.

Investigate the Russell 2000. This is the benchmark for small caps stocks. As with any benchmark used, you might be excited about the returns of your funds, until you check the benchmark and find yours are lower than the category. The reverse is also true.

Compare the Lehman Government/Corporate Bond Index. This is a composite of bonds that are of investment grade and mature within a 10 year period.

Know that the MSCI-EAFE is the benchmark for foreign stocks from the Pacific Basin and Europe.

Use the Soloman Brothers World Bond Index to track the returns of foreign bonds.

Make it easy and use the services of a financial website such as Morningstar that gives the average (benchmark) for funds of various classes.

Use Automatic Reinvestment For Mutual Funds

Automatic reinvestment is a tool used by mutual funds that allows investors to purchase additional shares in the fund using their dividends or capital gains distributions. It's similar to an automatic deposit into your checking account. In this case, money comes in the form of dividends or capital gains distributions, which you receive when the mutual fund does well. Additionally, instead of sending you the earned money, your fund manager reinvests it into your mutual fund. This gives you more shares of your fund and helps avoid excess taxes.

Learn to Use Automatic Reinvestment for Mutual Funds

Open your mutual fund prospectus and find the section about automatic reinvestment options.

Realize that your mutual fund may use automatic reinvestment unless you explicitly state otherwise. Read your prospectus to see which tactic your mutual fund uses.

Follow the instructions in your prospectus if you have to sign up to use automatic reinvestment. If you cannot find instructions, call your mutual fund manager and ask him what you need to do.

Discuss any tax liabilities or gains with your financial advisor or fund manager. Automatic reinvestment may carry additional benefits or tax losses if you are buying and selling other mutual funds at the same time as you are reinvesting.

Understand Putnam Mutual Funds

Putnam Investments is a Boston-based money management firm and one of the largest mutual fund administrator in America. In 2005, Putnam managed nearly 200 billion dollars worth of investments. They offer four different levels of investments. Clients can tailor their choices to their purposes and their tolerance of risk.

Understand Growth Funds

Know that growth funds are those mutual funds that incur higher risks but offer higher rewards.

Decide how aggressive you want your growth fund to be. The most aggressive of these is the OTC and Emerging Growth Fund, which focuses on small, new companies that have high potential and high risks.

Know that you can also invest in a more conservative fund. The most conservative fund at this level is Health Sciences Trust. Focused on the health care industry, it is diversified within that category.

Understand Blend Funds

Understand that blend funds are designed to balance risk and return. They consist of stocks that are believed to be undervalued, plus stocks that are considered to be more stable, such as utilities. Consider, as examples, the Global Natural Resources and the Utilities Growth and Income Fund.

Understand Value Funds

Know that value funds are Putnam's oldest products. They seek to balance stocks and bonds to provide both capital gains and long-term stability. Many of these holdings are convertible securities, which offer the interest of bonds with the versatility of stocks. Consider the George Putnam Fund of Boston and the Small Cap Value Fund.

Understand Income Funds

Realize that taxable income funds include instruments such as money markets and high-yield bonds to ensure a steady flow of income.

Know that tax-free income funds generally consist of federal, state or municipal bonds.

Know that risk ratings and interest rates vary from state to state.

Become an Investor

Decide which of the above types of mutual fund best suits your goals for income flow, growth and risk tolerance. Make this decision with the help of your financial advisor, who can then invest your funds appropriately.

How to possibly make more money than in the stock market

Tired of losing money in stock market, in your retirement funds, in the bank. Here is an alternative.

In todays market, it is hard to make money for your investments.
First you should decide if your current plan will be ok in time (once market straightens itself out)

If you decide to change or add to your investment portfolio, one option to consider is lending money to others.

In a way, you become a "bank" loaning money with interest.

One such site to view is http://www.prosper.com/join/pathfinderonline
You will need to bid on the loan and win the bid. In addition there are fees given back to the site.

In todays market, it is worthwhile to check out all options.

Pay a Contingent Deferred Sales Charge

A contingent deferred sales charge, also known as a back-end load fee, is a charge that you pay when you sell shares of your mutual fund or stocks. Contingent means based on the number of shares you sell. Deferred means that you don't pay the charge upfront; you only pay when you sell shares, so the charge comes out of your total return. You can find the amount of any fees and how to pay a contingent deferred sales charge in your mutual fund prospectus.

Pay a Contingent Deferred Sales Charge

Open your prospectus to the heading 'Shareholder Fees' and look for the terms 'contingent deferred sales charge', 'back-end load' or 'back load'.

Find the percentage of the sales charge.

Figure your total investment. If you don't know this number, you can also find it in your prospectus or annual report.

Multiply your total investment or the amount you wish to withdraw by the percentage of the sales charge.

Avoid a Contingent Deferred Sales Charge

Look for a 'no-load' mutual fund before you invest. A no-load fund doesn't charge any additional fees.

Read your prospectus thoroughly, particularly the 'Shareholder Fees' section.

Look for a caveat to the contingent deferred sales charge. Many funds will not charge you the back-end load if you do not withdraw money before a certain length of time, such as one year.

Keep your money in the mutual fund for as long as possible. This allows it to continue to accrue returns while sometimes minimizing or eliminating the back-end load completely.

Manage a Lifecycle Fund

Most people invest in stocks and bonds in order to facilitate retirement. Designed specifically for retirement needs, lifecycle funds have become increasingly popular in recent years. With flexible investment options, lifecycle funds are a great way to secure your future. But they may not be for everyone.

Invest in Lifecycle Mutual Funds

Sit down with your financial adviser and draft a realistic, easy to manage retirement plan. You'll need to consider your age, lifestyle goals and projected income in order to develop a reasonable strategy.

Based on your financial plan, decide which path would best suit your needs. If you're close to retirement, you may need a more aggressive approach. If you've got 30 to 40 years of hard work ahead of you, you may find you have more options.

Take a look at the different lifecycle funds available. You can find them by browsing the finance section of your local newspaper or by looking on financial Web sites.

Determine your risk tolerance. If you're running out of time to invest in your retirement, you may not want to pursue an aggressive lifecycle fund.

Make a list of all of the qualities you want in a lifecycle fund. The more specific you are, the easier it will be to find the perfect fund for your investment needs.

Choose a fund. You'll want your fund's prospectus on hand as well as your itemized list before you make your decision.

Contact the fund to find out how you can purchase shares. The optimal situation would be to purchase directly from the fund. When you buy through a broker or fund supermarket, you end up paying more up front.

Stay on top of your portfolio. You need to carefully manage your fund to ensure you're getting everything you need out of it. It will also help you re-balance your fund as your financial needs change.

Invest in WisdomTree Mutual Funds

Investing in WisdomTree mutual funds is far easier than you may have thought. Mutual funds are considered a low-risk investment and are typically explained in such a way that even a beginner can understand the basics. With the online research tools that are now available, investing in a mutual fund can be a very simple task.

Determine Your Financial Goals

Research the fees and tax implications associated with investing in WisdomTree mutual funds. Different funds have different fees, so do your research and invest accordingly.

Decide whether you are looking to invest in mutual funds as a short-term or long-term investment. This decision will help guide you to a fund that's right for you, as different time frames offer different financial outcomes.

Determine the level of risk you are willing to take. WisdomTree offers both low-risk and high-risk funds.

Make the Investment

Visit the WisdomTree homepage to research the available funds.

Consider registering with the site for easy access. Go to the tab that reads "Register" and follow the instructions provided.

Investigate the different mutual funds to narrow down your choices. Although an overseas investment may offer a higher return, this market might not be as stable as something closer to home.

Review the prospectus for the mutual fund you are interested in. Make sure that you understand the fees associated with your fund, as well as the potential risks and returns.

Find a broker through your bank branch or a fellow investor's recommendation and purchase your mutual fund.

Invest in Stratton Mutual Funds

The Stratton Management Company has offered no-load funds for over 30 years. The company offers three different funds with varying objectives. Follow these steps to invest in Stratton Mutual Funds.

Learn About and Invest in Stratton Mutual Funds

Set a goal. Before you invest in any mutual fund, determine your goals and your tolerance for risk.

Risk what you can. If you're feeling gutsy and want a high rate of return, invest in the Stratton Monthly Dividend REIT Shares fund. The goal of this fund is to earn cash from dividends and interest. Remember, this fund best suits the short-term investor.

Play it safe. If you want to invest in that distant retirement or your toddler's college education, consider the Stratton Small-Cap Value Fund. This fund takes safe bets with investments that appreciate over time.

Hedge your bets. Maybe you want some big payoffs, but you don't want to risk it all. If so, consider the Stratton Multi-Cap Fund. This fund primarily focuses on long-term growth while keeping an eye on high return rates.

Know the cost. Each fund has a fee to cover the fund's management expenses. This fee is reflected in the net asset value of your share. Stratton's expense is 1.21 percent of the net asset value.

Redeem at the right time. Mutual funds are long-term investments, so when shareholders sell too soon, it costs the fund. Stratton Mutual Funds charges a 1.5 percent redemption fee for shares redeemed within 120 days of the initial investment.

Get a prospectus, which details costs, financial goals and risks. Read it before you invest.

Download an application directly from the Stratton Mutual Funds Web site (see the Resources section below) and fill it out. Mail it along with your initial investment to the Stratton Management Company.

Set up an automatic investment plan. You don't need to stop after your initial investment. With a minimum of $100 per period, you can invest directly from your bank account.

Learn investment jargon by visiting a finance Web site like The Investment FAQ (see Resources below).

Invest in Small Cap Mutual Funds

Small cap companies have a 'small' market capitalization, usually from $250 million to $2 billion. Some mutual funds are based on capitalization, focusing solely on large-cap, mid-cap, small-cap and even micro-cap companies. While the lion's share of mutual funds invest only in large-cap companies, some focus on small-cap companies, and this is often where the surprise gems can lie.

Understand the risks of small cap companies and the mutual funds that invest in them. While there are great deals to be found, there will nearly always be greater risk associated with small cap companies.

Look at the top-performing small cap mutual funds on Yahoo! Finance. Start by selecting "Mutual Funds" from the blue menu on the left of your screen.

Click "Top Performers"; underneath the "Tools" menu on the left side of your screen.

Click "Small Blend", "Small Growth" or "Small Value" to see the top performing small cap mutual funds.

Request a prospectus from any of these funds.

Read each prospectus carefully.

Take some time to watch the main indices for small cap companies: the Russell 2000 Index, the Russell 2500 Index and the Russell Small Cap Completeness Index.

Choose the mutual fund that appears to have the most consistent returns. Do this by comparing the performance charts in each fund's prospectus.

Make your investment. You can call a reputable broker or contact the small cap mutual fund of your choice directly.

Invest in Sierra Club Mutual Funds

The San Francisco-based Sierra Club is known for its commitment to the environment, and its mutual funds reflect this allegiance. Managed by Forward Management, Sierra Club Mutual Funds invests exclusively in eco-friendly companies. Follow these steps to invest in Sierra Club Mutual Funds.

Research and Invest in Sierra Club Mutual Funds

Familiarize yourself with the terminology of investing. Check a finance Web site like The Investment FAQ (see the Resources section below). Unless you understand investment semantics, you won't be able to read the market.

Create a game plan. How much money do you want to put in your retirement fund, how much in the education fund for your children and how much should be devoted to income generation? Do you want a range of stocks from stable, low-growth to riskier high-return issues?

Peruse the prospectus. Everything you need to know about a mutual fund is contained in the prospectus, which sets forth goals, explains costs and assesses risk. Download the prospectuses directly from the Sierra Club Mutual Funds Web site (see Resources below).

Check the history of a fund in its prospectus, which includes charts that detail past and present performance. Use this data to make a wise investment.

Compare the fees. The funds offered through Sierra Club Mutual Funds have relatively low operating expenses at only 1.29 percent of the daily net assets.

Beware of early withdrawal. To keep the operating expenses low, the funds charge a 2 percent early redemption fee. Therefore, if you redeem your shares within 60 days of investing, you will pay for the privilege.

Remember the principles. Due to the Sierra Club's high environmental standards, their investment pool of companies is limited. Though the club believes its standards will increase profitability, they may have negative short-term effects.

Make your move. If you like what you see in the prospectus, then contact your financial adviser or the Sierra Club directly and invest.

Monitor your investment. The Forward Management group updates the Web site with daily performances. Pay attention to what's happening as it's happening.

Read the annual and semiannual performance reports online. Study these reports to track the ebb and flow of the fund.

Invest in International Mutual Funds

International mutual funds invest in markets outside of the United States and across the globe. These funds can be good for diversifying and adding balance to a portfolio. Generally, international funds are more volatile than their domestic counterparts. However, the rewards of investing in foreign markets can be many, allowing investors to fatten their wallets with more than just local opportunities.

Understand the difference between international funds and global funds. International funds typically focus on investing outside the United States; global funds invest both inside and outside of the United States.

Recognize that investing in international mutual funds provides a way of breaking into foreign markets without the risks brought on by investing with little applicable knowledge. Professional mutual fund managers bring experience and in-depth research to the table, boosting your chances of profiting from your investment.

Carefully evaluate the level of risk you can take and your investment time horizon.

Determine the portion of your assets you can afford to invest in international mutual funds.

Understand that international mutual funds may invest in stocks and/or bonds from markets around the world. An international fund may focus on a particular market or a combination of markets.

Recognize that you may need to sit out some rough times in order to realize an international fund's full potential.

Consider the fact that international funds may help you to lower your overall investment risk. As the world's markets do not move exactly in tune with each other, you could capitalize on a thriving market in one region, even while trouble brews in another country.

Research and compare international mutual funds online, using MorningStar.com.

Visit the websites of the funds that interest you and request or download prospectuses.

Contact a financial adviser to discuss the portion of your portfolio best allocated to international mutual funds. With the adviser's help, invest in the mutual funds best suited to your goals, risk tolerance and time horizon.

Invest in Highmark Mutual Funds

HighMark Capital Management, Inc., a subsidiary of Union Bank, manages the Highmark mutual funds. This fund family offers approximately 30 different funds. Follow these steps to invest in HighMark mutual funds.

Study HighMark Mutual Funds

Download a prospectus for HighMark mutual funds from the company's Web site (see the Resources section below), or call (800) 433-6884. Read it carefully to learn about the basic types of funds HighMark offers as well as the investment objectives and strategies of the funds.

Choose the type of account you want to open -- an individual account, a joint account or a trust account. Contact HighMark Funds Investor Services at (800) 433-6884 with any questions you have about opening an account or for instructions on opening an IRA account.

Download an account application from the HighMark Web site.

Fill out all relevant sections of the account application, and write a check for the amount of your investment.

Mail your account application and check to HighMark Funds at P.O. Box 8416, Boston, Massachusetts, 02266-8416.

Choose HighMark Mutual Funds to Invest In

Choose from among the variety of funds that HighMark offers: four moderate allocation mutual funds; four intermediate-term bond mutual funds; large-blend, large-growth and large-value mutual funds; and small-value, small-growth mutual funds.

Decide how to allocate your investment funds. The HighMark Funds family contains more than 30 different mutual funds and offers shares into two different classes, A and C (read the prospectus for more information on share classes). You can use a single account application form to invest in a variety of funds, so decide how much you would like to invest in each.

How to hedge falling US dollar currency

With US dollar falling over the last few years, particularly over the past year, it would be a good idea to hedge your investment wisely. Often I come across the argument that falling dollar only matters if you are transferring money outside of USA and/or traveling abroad. While there is some truth to this assumption, this is largely inaccurate in this global economy. Following are some easy ways to counter falling dollar and perhaps make some money while at it.

If you want to play other currencies directly, a simple option would be to trade their tracking Exchange Traded Fund such as FXE (for Euro), FXC (Canadian$). You can buy and sell them just like you would any other stock without special transaction fees. They pay interest just like your savings account. The other option would be to open FOREX trading account or buy currency funds such as UDN or physically buy the currency.

Be smart about your portfolio picks. There is nothing wrong with sticking with the US companies that you know and trust but keep in mind that companies that have business abroad would likely give you better return on investment due to conversion rate and hence offer excellent hedging. Think of Coke, Pepsi, Procter & Gamble, Phillip Morris etc

Buy foreign stock market ETFs and mutual funds. Emerging markets are on a tear in the recent past, especially the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, Indian and China). While they have taken a beating along with the US down turn market in the recent past, emerging market's fundamentals remain strong and hence they would continue to return better into the foreseeable future. Just search “emerging market” or your favorite country’s name (such as “India”) in your online broker's account. PowerShares and iPath offers excellent ETFs.

Buy foreign stocks. If you are able to research companies listed in other markets, you have couple of ways to buy their stocks. You can either open trading accounts in the market of your choice (most brokers would support this. Tip: pay attention to transaction fees) or you can look for ADRs of foreign companies which are listed in NYSE (such as INFY).

Buy Gold and other precious metals. Gold is the universal currency that you should consider having in your portfolio as a means of diversification as well as guarding against inflation. ETF such as GLD is an easy way to play gold. Tip: unless you have time to research, it is better to stay away from buying individual miners and avoid inheriting their operating risks.

Buy commodities. Oil, Wheat, Corn, Soy and pretty much all staple commodities have been on the tear due to falling dollar and inflation. There are plenty of ways you can play, right from buying commodity ETFs to trading in Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

Act now and then relax, knowing that your investment strategy is working hard for you whether or not your dollar is.

Find The Right Mutual Funds For Your Needs.

A brief introduction into steps that lead you to pick the right mutual funds for your needs.

The first thing you want to do in choosing the right mutual funds for you is to identify the goals and risk tolerance of the mutual fund. Before aquiring shares in any fund, an investor must first identify his goals or desires for the money being invested. Identifying a goal is important because it will enable you to narrow down the list of more than 8,000 mutual funds in the public market today.

Risk tolerance is a key factor. In addition, the investor should also consider the issue of risk tolerance. Do you want a more conservative investment or a swinging portfollio? Identifying risk tolerance is as important as identifying a goal. Afterall, what good is a investment if the investor cant sleep at night.

The next thing that you want to consider is the style and fund type. If the investor intends to use the money in the fund for a longer term need, then the style/objective he or she may be suited for is long-term capitol appreciation fund. If the investor is in need of current income, he or she could aquire shares in a income fund.

The next thing is charges and fees. Mutual funds make their money by charging fees to the investor. It is important to gain an understanding of the different types of fees. Some funds charge a sales fee which will be charged upon investment or sale of the investment. Another fee is the front end fee which is paid out at the initial investment and the other is a back end fee which is paid out at the sale of the investment. To avoid these fees, look for no load-funds.

Lastly, always research the funds that you want. Look at the funds past results. This information is important because it will give the investor insight into how the portfollio manager performs under certain conditions.

decide between stocks and mutual funds

This will help you decide whether stocks or mutual funds are the right investment for you.

Decide how much money you have to invest. The amount of money that you have will greatly influence which investment choice you should make.

Decide how you want to diversify your portfolio. Will you do it through stocks or mutual funds. A diversified portfolio is essential to succeeding in investing.

Weigh the advantages of mutual funds over stocks. Mutual funds allow you to be diversified instantly and have less risk than individual stocks do. The pooling of investors money makes mutual funds very efficient.

Weigh the advantages of stocks over mutual funds. The reality is, 80% of money managers underperform the S&P 500, so that professional management you're paying for might not be worth it. Stocks allow you to have complete control over your investment portfolio. While stocks have a greater risk, they also have a much higher potential reward.

If you have under $10,000 to invest you should likely choose a mutual fund since it will be costly to diversify your portfolio in individual stocks. If you have a larger amount, AND you are willing to put in the time and research needed to hold individual stocks, they might be the right path for you.

Use EE Bonds to Build Your Savings and Save for College

Series EE savings bonds are safe, low-risk savings products that pay interest based on current market rates Use your EE Bonds to: * Finance education * Supplement retirement income * Give as a gift The rates and terms for your EE Bond are determined when your bond is issued.It is currently 3%.

Series EE bonds now issued in paper are sold at a 50% discount to face value. A Series EE paper bond issued today with a face amount of $1,000 costs $500 and will be worth $1,000 in 17 years. Bonds will continue to earn interest semiannually for another 13 years beyond the 17-year maturity date.

Electronic bonds are issued at face value.

Bonds may be purchased by mail and can be bought and redeemed at banks, savings and loan associations, and other local agencies.

You can buy bonds online at www.treasurydirect.gov.

The Current Interest Rate is 3.00% through April 30, 2008.
The minimum purchase: $25 for a $50 EE Bond when buying paper bond certificates.
$25 for a $25 EE bond when buying electronically via TreasuryDirect

Maximum Purchase per calendar year: $5,000 in TreasuryDirect and $5,000 in paper bonds (purchase price)

The Denominations are: Paper bonds: $50, $75, $100, $200, $500, $1,000, $5,000, and $10,000

Electronic bonds via TreasuryDirect: $25 or more, designated amounts you choose

Here is your tax information on E/EE Bonds
* Interest earnings are exempt from State and local income taxes, but are subject to Federal, State, and local estate, inheritance, gift, and other excise taxes.
* Interest earnings are subject to Federal income tax.
* Interest earnings may be excluded from Federal income tax when bonds are used to finance education .

When used for children's gifts, a 1040 tax form should be filed for the child each year after receiving the gift, declaring the annual accrued interest. Then, when turned-in, there would be no taxable income until the child's total investment income exceeds the amount below which no Federal tax is levied. The child is listed as the sole owner, and a parent or another child is beneficiary.

use a triple moving average cross-over system to trade stocks

Triple moving average cross over system is designed to take the emotion out of trading. It times your entry and exits. This system can create alot of losers in a sideways moving market, but when it is trending this system is great.

Pick any 3 numbers for you moving averages. There alot of good article on the web on which time frames you should use. A typical one is 4,9,18 but this is not the only one that is commonly used.

When the fastest moving average(the moving average witht he lowest number) crosses above the the other two moving averages, then you open up a buy order.(see my other articles for managing risk)

When fastest moving average crosses below the medium speed moving average but is still above the slow moving average than close your buy.

How to Trade Indian Stock Market?

This article explains in easy steps the basic requirements to trade Indian Stock Market. It is kept in mind that person has moderate knowledge about stock market and previously invested in mutual funds.

If you are Indian national residing in India or Nonresident Indian then you need to get PAN card. This is mandatory first step to be done so you can be eligible for next step. Many bank branches all over India accept PAN card application forms. This procedure can take up to a month.

Subscribe to a trading account with one of the major online broking houses. Prominent ones are IndiaBull, IndiaInfoLine, ShareKhan and Reliance money.

Some brokerage houses provide their own charting but they have very minimal features. Get decent charting software like Metastock, EasyChart or Amibroker. Subscribe to an End-of-Day data feed from esignal or many other available.

Now major challenge starts is to learn trading. You can read books, join online charting communities, blogs, membership site or get into a mentorship program. Start paper trading the stock market with full diligence as if you are trading real money.

Keep track of local economic news and demand supply equations in different sectors of economy. Keep track of Government monitory policy decisions and Reserve Bank of India meeting outcomes. Also keep track of major global event and economic conditions.

Once you are comfortable with all above steps you can start trading with real money. Be diligent about bet size and stop loss point. Develop a methodology which suits your personality style and statistically back tested for good risk to reward ratio. Happy Trading!!

Trade FOREX in the Shortest Possible Time

Trading currency in foreign exchange markets, or FOREX, is becoming increasingly popular. There is money to be made; however, many FOREX traders are not consistently profitable. With the advent of mini-FOREX accounts, FOREX trading is now available to anyone with even a small amount of capital.

Educate yourself on how the foreign exchange markets work. You will need to understand the basics of relative currency values, which will mean understanding a little economics.

Pick your trading period. Day traders buy large quantities of currency and then wait for small swings in prices to sell for a profit. This approach requires a great deal of time and micromanagement. Swing traders, on the other hand, take a long-term approach and do not need to be constantly attentive to small changes in the market.

Decide if you're going to use a technical or fundamental trading approach. Technical traders, which represent the majority of FOREX traders, make their decisions based on charts, and they buy and sell currencies when they reach certain predetermined levels. Other traders trade on the basis of market fundamentals like news reports, macroeconomic trends and commodity prices. The latter strategy requires a great deal more expertise. Of course, some traders blend these two approaches.

Consider buying specialized FOREX trading software. These can track and analyze data more easily. You can also enroll in many online FOREX courses, but avoid those that make unrealistic promises or charge unreasonable amounts of money.

Try a trade simulator, a system that uses fake money but tracks the real currency markets. This will enable you to practice your trading skills without risking your own capital, and it allows you to evaluate your own abilities at no risk.

Set up a mini-FOREX account. These accounts require only a small amount of capital and allow you to begin trading immediately.

Start an Investment Study Group

Joining an investment study group is a good way to meet people who share the same financial goals and aspirations. Membership also helps you to find out the latest trends and learn more about investing in the stock market, real estate and other areas.

Invite like-minded investors to join your group. Bring in people who are dedicated to improving their financial lives and ultimately committed to becoming financially independent.

Find out what the financial goals are for each person and decide what types of investments the group will explore.

Compose agreements that cover the time and duration of each meeting. Agree on a venue and a location that is convenient for all members. Choose dates and times for the meetings. Disclose, discuss and agree to all costs related to the group.

Do not allow any product solicitations by members or guest speakers. Everyone involved in your investment study group is there for one primary reason – to learn.

Draw up an agenda for each study meeting. Decide on whether it will involve a book, such as such as any of the Rich Dad’s Advisors® Books or any investment book that your group would like to study. Bring in guest speakers, such as experts in real estate or investing in businesses or paper assets.

Sign Up for Investing Courses

Learning from people who have succeeded is an essential part of mastering any skill, and investing is no different. Particularly if you live near a major city, you'll find there are plenty of opportunities to sign up for investing courses that can change the course of your financial future.

Decide what kind of investing courses you want to sign up for if you're new to the world of investing. Broadly speaking, real estate, money market/mutual fund and stock investing are the 3 most common branches investors deal in. Evaluate your short-term and long-term goals to determine which investment method is right for you.

Familiarize yourself with the basic terminology and practices used in the branch of investing you are interested in. You might sign up for an investing course that covers topics at an intermediate level and doesn't take the time to go through and explain fundamental concepts. Having at least a minor working knowledge of the topic will make it easier for you to get the most out of the courses you sign up for.

Check your local newspaper's business or community pages to browse for upcoming local events that are of interest to investors. If you are interested in real estate investing courses, check any real estate supplements that your local paper includes. Many newspapers include a local real estate section on a monthly or bi-monthly basis.

Be wary when dealing with online investing courses. The Internet is a haven for investing groups that promise to share groundbreaking, foolproof investing techniques, then fail to deliver. You might be wiser to stick to courses that offer traditional in-class or seminar-style instruction.

Contact community colleges or schools offering diploma programs in business studies to see if they offer any courses on personal investing.

Search for and join online forums for investors in your area. They are a good place to pick the brains of other local investors, and many permit investing course organizers to post notices regarding upcoming classes and weekend seminars coming to your area.

Subscribe to investor newsletters offered through local organizations. They will be a good source of information on any pending educational opportunities.

Remember that fees for investing courses can be relatively expensive, especially for weekend seminars conducted by well-regarded industry insiders.

Sign up by contacting the course organizers and following their registration process. You should act as quickly as possible when you find a course you're interested in, as space is frequently limited.

How to Set Up a 529 Plan to Pay for College

It's never too late to open a 529 for your future college graduate. This article shows you how it's done.

Determine which state's 529 plan you want to use. In most cases, you will get a state tax deduction for any 529 plan contributions that you make for a program that is sponsored by your home state. (About two-thirds of all states offer this deduction.) There are currently 118 state-sponsored plans available, and you can view them all at savingforcollege.com. The various plans have been ranked by several different experts and magazines and you should evaluate the actual investment choices that are inside your state's plan. Getting a state tax deduction may not be worth it if your state's plan does not offer good investment performance.

You can open a 529 Plan for anyone, not just your child. Nieces, nephews and grandkids are eligible as well, and all of them will benefit from this plan. For those who are looking to reduce their taxable estates, these plans allow donors to make gifts of up to $60,000 in one year without incurring gift tax.

Cost is another factor that should be considered. Although brokers and financial planners offer these plans, you can invest in these plans directly without having to pay a broker a sales charge. These charges will reduce the amount of money that is available in the plan for you when you need it.

If you're not an investment expert yourself and need some help deciding which investment choices are appropriate, just pick one of the age-based portfolio allocations that are available in many plans. These plans automatically adjust the allocation of the portfolio between stocks, bonds and cash based upon how soon you will need to begin withdrawing the money.

How to see main achievements of Morocco

Morocco is currently experiencing its strongest growth in years. Morocco's economy is fast growing, due to several factors. Foreign investments especially in Morocco property, as labor-intensive products here can be made far cheaper in any other place close to Western Europe.

According to an economic analysis of developments in Morocco made in the journal 'IMF Survey' - published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) - the Kingdom is currently experiencing its strongest growth in years. Real GDP is projected to grow by an impressing 7.3 percent this year, by far outweighing Morocco's low population growth rate set at around 1.6 percent. Last year, the economy only grew by 1.6 percent, according to Moroccan authorities and IMF staff estimates.
Morocco's economy is fast growing, due to several factors. Foreign investments especially in Morocco property, as labor-intensive products here can be made far cheaper in any other place close to Western Europe. Morocco has a skilled labor force, and more and more people with high education, since Moroccan schools and universities are of good quality. Moroccans are highly skilled in languages, and most young Moroccans know 2 or 3 languages.

There are some factors, which make investment in property in Morocco profitable for foreign investors:
• Property in Morocco prices around 50% cheaper than European comparables.
• Full freehold ownership rights for foreigners.
• 60% LTV Mortgages available to foreigners at around 6%.
• No tax payable on rental income for the first five years.
• Only 20% capital gains tax, falling to 10% after 5 years and nothing after 10 years.
• Fast growing Morocco property market.
• 0% inheritance tax.
• Wonderful climate and beautiful nature of the country

Last factor influences a lot on Morocco property investment increasing. There are many cities in Morocco, which is worth visiting. For example, a holiday in Tangiers will give you an eclectic taste of Africa, Europe and Morocco in one mesmerizing, hugely memorable hit. Tangiers is ancient, exotic, and always entertaining thanks to the sheer diversity of people and pace of life here. But this city has also modern part, where you can see modern buildings, different types of Tangier property, which is in high demand. Famous writers and artists from Oscar Wilde to Matisse to Joe Orton have taken holidays in Tangiers.
The other beautiful city is Tetouan, which is very beautiful, with dramatic mountains in the south and west, right across the narrow valley from which Tetouan rises. But as soon as you have entered the medina this disappears from your view. The medina is certainly not colorful, its grayish white walls are only challenged by the sporadic green tile roofs. Tetouan is one of the whitest cities you will get across in Morocco, and even the new city with big choice of Tetouan property follows this codex.

Also don’t forget about Saidia. The beach is first class, and as clean as it gets, the city is lively and you can find various Saidia property there, and people easygoing. Saidia is a coastal resort and is set to become one of Europe 's greatest tourist locations. The white sandy beaches are superb and the sea is crystal blue, with over 17 beach clubs in absolutely beautiful surroundings.
Morocco offers the same convenience of southern Spain at significantly lower prices.
You will get safe investment - notary supervised Morocco property registration similar to France & Spain; freehold readily available.
Morocco government makes Open Skies policy, aim of which is ushering in low-cost European carriers. Easyjet & Thomsonfly & Ryan Air first to announce new Moroccan routes in early 2006. Increased tourism generated by the Azur Plan projects will create huge requirement for rental property in Morocco.
http://www.moroccoproperty.org.uk/tetouan_property.html
http://www.moroccoproperty.org.uk/tangiers_property.html
http://www.moroccoproperty.org.uk/property_in_saidia.html

save money while paying off bills and making deposits

When I was 10 years old and had my first savings account I found a way to save money on every transaction debits & credits. This trick works with Savings accounts, stocks, checking, CD's, and any recoded or held transactions

Open an account or use a current account.

When you write a check for $75.35, record the check in your register by Rounding UP. Record it as $76.00.
You just saved $0.65 :-)

When you make a deposit for $3298.50 Round down and enter into your recorded resister as $3298.00
You just saved $0.50 :-)

Most people when they go to a restaurant and get back $0.35 in change they give it as a tip, because $0.35 will not effect your quality of life or help pay the bills. This is a way of giving yourself a tip for paying the bills.

I checked in my Quicken, and i had over 1,000 transactions in 2007 and saved over $600.00 without it effecting me one bit. I have been doing this for a long time. My current checking account is over $1000.00 above what my records show.

Another benefit is that when you take away the pennies, balancing your checkbook is much easier!

Save for Retirement in Five Years

You may be facing a retirement crisis. You may have lost your savings in the stock market. You may just hate your job and want to get to really living as soon as possible. Either way, saving for a basic retirement package that will cover your daily living expenses in five years might be easier than you thought. Follow these steps closely to see your financial goals blossom sooner than you expected.

In Quickbooks, or whatever financial software you have chosen, start recording your daily and monthly expenses. This is a practice that should continue during your five year savings period in order to curb excess spending and show you where spending and savings habits can be improved.

Being writing down your savings goals in your planning software, or in a simple notebook. If you aren't sure where to start, begin by planning to save the amount of money you will need to cover basic expenses, such as housing and utilities. You can even begin with just one bill, such as the power or water expense you usually pay each month.

For that first finacial savings goal, start small and try not to overestimate the return on your investments. Calculate the interest that you will need to garner each month to cover that first bill and create your first savings goal according to that number. Talk to a trusted banker or your financial expert for a formula based on your investments that will help you calculate the savings you will need.

If you plan to retire in five years and have little to no savings, it's time to re-evaluate your retirement plan. Concentrate on covering your basic expenses (shelter, food, utilities). Then, work on paying down every debt you have so that your monthly costs will be as low as possible. Also, consider downgrading to a less expensive home, car, and lifestyle that will still bring you comfort and happiness while requiring less from your bank account. This is an often overlooked option that can save thousands of dollars and shave years of time off of your retirement savings plan.

Begin cultivating your own side stream of income (or multiple streams) immediately. Open a low cost Ebay store, invest modestly in a small business you've always dreamed of, start freelance writing, or whatever it is you have always wanted to do that will also bring in extra cash during your retirement. Retiring in five years with enough cash to cover your basic bills is doable, but don't fool yourself into thinking that you will have enough to give up any sort of work altogether. Have your retirement goal to be being able to quit your day job while pursuing a part time interest you love, all while comfortably being able to cover your basic expenses.

For the highest rate of successful return on your investments, it is highly recommended that you schedule an appointment with a financial advisor, and stick with a good national banking chain throughout your five year retirement savings journey. Working with the same people over and over again, provided you feel satisfied with them from the start, is the best way to make sure your money is carefully handled by those who understand your needs and goals.

How to Rollover Investment CDs

CDs should be a part of every investment portfolio. While they don't offer the most exciting returns, they lock in gains at a lower percentage so that even in the worst markets you are somewhat isolated from a correction. Of course, depending on your age, your allocation in CDs should be somewhat different. But if you've ever owned one, you know they can be tricky to roll over.

Create a file for your investment CDs. Because the terms of CD range from a few months to more than 10 years, it's easy to forget which CDs are maturing when. Therefore it is important to create a folder in which you place all of your CD investment material. That way it is easily accessible.

Use a calendar. Life is so hectic in today's day and age, it's best to use a calendar for all aspects of our lives. Especially financial. Mark down important dates as soon as they come to your attention. Computers now come with calendars as well. So don't worry if the CD matures 5 years in the future. Set an alert. Your computer will remind you.

Keep your address information current. Banks are required by law to send you a notice in writing 1 month before the CD matures. But if they have the wrong address, then the notice may never reach you. Most banks will automatically lock in the CD for the same term. But you have to watch out because the rate may be unfavorable as market conditions have changed.

Determine your investment goals. Now that your CD is about to mature, you have to ask yourself what you would like to do with it. You can reinvest in another CD, place it in a mutual fund, stocks, money market, bonds or just cash it out. The important thing is that you decide what is best for you based on your objectives. Younger people should be more aggressive in their investments as they have time to make money up from a market correction, while older people and especially retired people should seek the safe haven of CDs since they are a secure investment.

Take action to rollover your investment CDs. Located on the notice from the bank will be their contact information. That information can also be found on the certificate of deposit itself. Contact the bank and discuss which investment you'd like to roll your CD into. If you are placing it back in a CD, be sure to check the rates, as they can change daily. Some banks will allow you to tell them verbally what you'd like to do with the money, while others require a written letter. Be sure to ask their policy and create and send the document right away if needed.

Follow-up with the bank. No one is going to watch your money like you. Therefore if you do not receive a confirmation either by email or written mail within a week, be sure to call back and check on the status of your CD investment rollover.

Reduce Capital-Gain-Tax On Investment Property

If you have an investment property or thinking of buying one, following are the steps you want to consider for lowering capital gain tax

Think before buying. If you have not bought the investment property, it pays to think through the ownership, income and tax implications. You should evaluate income from rental, investment timeframe, market conditions and other tax situations before choosing ownership.

Evaluate ownership. Tax law allows for tax free capital gain on your primary residence. If you can either make it your primary residence or can make a co-owner (such as college going kid) live in the house for 2 years in the preceding 5 years, you can substantially save on tax.

Keep tab on improvement costs. They are deductible from the profit for tax purposes. Ensure that you have adequate records for your deductions. Tip: if you are making improvements yourself, like most American property owners do, keep in mind that you can’t deduct your labor. However you can deduct material costs.

Plan your sale. It helps if you can afford to plan your sale based on your tax situation. Often taking a substantial capital gain from sale of investment property, can put you at a disadvantage when combined with regular incomes. You might get caught in alternative minimum taxes which can be very unfortunate. It is best if you can chunk your incomes over multiple years.

Sales adjustments. If you are incurring out of pocket expenses towards the closing of your sale (such as renovating kitchen), see whether your buyer can take a cash credit instead. This simplifies your tax liability.

Pick Stocks for Slackers

A portfolio of stocks will outperform secure investments like bonds almost inevitably. Ok, so you figured out how to fund a brokerage account. You know you’re an idiot not to be investing your money in stocks. You let money sit in your savings account and are embarrassed at the 2% return. But how do you actually pick which stocks are the right ones to buy? It does require a small amount of work, but you actually don’t need to be too obsessed to succeed.

Use your industry knowledge.

“I don’t know much about any industry,” you say, “for I am a slacker.” Well, since you probably play video games, maybe you knew that Take Two Interactive was the publisher for a game called Grand Theft Auto IV. If you knew about it five months before the release date and had already bought shares, you would have seen a huge bump when EA made a takeover offer (from 16 to 26 in one day). Was there any way to predict EA’s offer? No, but stock jumps happen ahead of major events like on-sale dates of big products.

Follow the news and pick accordingly.

Kenya recently went through a period of major political unrest. A lot of stocks tumbled, notably insurance and tourism-related companies. But after the unrest was over, the stocks bounced back. Also, remember that the population is booming around most of the world in a way unprecedented in history, so companies that can take advantage of that will be good performers.

Don’t resort to math, P/E ratios, or other numbers games.

That’s what they are – games, with little payoff. If P/E ratio had anything dependable to say about a stock’s future performance, then everyone would easily make money on stocks. It looks authoritative, but don’t waste your time trying to decipher the meaning of number-heavy statistics if you aren’t committed to spending significant time becoming an investment professional to put the statistics in perspective.

The only information you want is verbal descriptions of company performance from neutral sources like The Wall Street Journal, which you can find plenty of by typing a stock ticker symbol into Google.

Try to divine the path of the stock price curve.

Stock price prognostication is a learned art. You must look at a graph of the stock’s price over the past few years and figure out its current status, under- or over-valued. Consider the company’s recent news: were there recently any announcements or scandals that artificially affected the price? Consider what’s to come: are they growing; do they have new products coming out soon?

Use comparable companies to see trends.

Apple and Google both got hit hard early in 2008. Apple’s recovery happened only shortly before Google’s did. If you were watching both stocks, all you had to do was wait for one or the other to go back up and know that it was time to buy.

As soon as it’s told to too many people, stock advice becomes useless.

Stock experts in print or on TV aren’t worth listening to; in person they are. If you have a friend who works in finance or I-banking, take their advice if they grace you with a stock tip. Don’t waste your time with mass-market investment tips. By the time you see the show and log in to your Scottrade account, all the other amateurs who were watching have beat you to it.

When it starts to feel too obvious or too easy, that’s the time to jump.

Real estate prices were skyrocketing in the early part of this decade, and it seemed obvious that a second home was a good investment. Dot-coms were guaranteed money-makers regardless of profitability in ’99. If you remember, it was a running joke for a while about how none of the dot-com millionaires were actually turning a profit. In the late 1920’s, it was a running joke how easy it was to buy stock on margin. Running jokes are really bad signs.

Put a stock ticker on your homepage.

Don’t keep checking prices, but set up a widget or some such so that you won’t miss any sudden rises or falls. Paying occasional attention pays off. Sell when you make an unexpected large gain.

Update your portfolio a few times a year.

For a person or family, you should choose a few stocks to buy and sell about three or four times a year. Get rid of the losers and try something new on a regular basis and your long-term returns will be the better for it.

How to Obtain Financial Independence

How would you like to have the choice to work or not? Advice from these authors and your own dedication will allow you to obtain financial independence.

First of all, you will need a job that can support you and your family. Financial independence does not mean winning the lottery and living high on the hog. Financial independence means understanding how money comes into your life and how you can make it work for you, rather than working for it.

Learn to live on 50 percent of your income. I know, sounds impossible right? But it can be done. I have been doing it for more than 6 years now. If you are half of a couple, live on one person's salary. There is numerous information on the Web on how to tighten your belt and live way below your means.

Invest the rest. Take the other salary or the other 50 percent of your income and put it into savings and investments that YOU DO NOT TOUCH! This savings will eventually be able to fund your future freedom.

Have patience. This does not happen overnight. Financial independence for me will take about 20 years, but it is better than working full time for the man for 40 years, right? And during those 20 years, I will have gained some valuable money management skills and a lot of money.

How to Obtain a Reinvestment Privilege

Investing is all about making a good return on your money. An important detail to note when buying shares is whether or not you obtain a reinvestment privilege. Whether you want to reinvest all of your shares or a percentage of your quarterly dividends, it's important to know how to keep your transactions legal and hassle-free.

Reinvesting Shares

Discuss with your financial adviser if reinvesting all or part of your shares could benefit your long- or short-term goals. You may find there are other investment avenues worth exploring. In this case, it's wise to hold back on reinvesting all of your shares.

Carefully note the reinvestment privilege policies for the stock or fund you're interested in. This information can usually be found by looking on the prospectus or Statement of Additional Information (SAI). Alternatively, you can also contact the company directly to clear up any uncertainties.

Consult with your financial adviser to make sure your transaction is legal and will conform to company policies.

Sell a portion or all of your shares.

Reinvest your shares within the specified time frame, as determined by the company's policies. To obtain this information, check your prospectus or call the management directly.

Reinvesting Dividends

Review your shares to determine whether you are eligible for dividend reinvestment.

Obtain the company's policies on enrolling in their dividend reinvestment privilege program. The easiest way to get this information is by looking over your prospectus.

Fill out your plan authorization form or plan election form. Your dividends will usually be reinvested on the dividend payment date after your form has been received.

Ask about the proper procedure for discontinuing dividend reinvestment. Although most investors are content to have their dividends continually reinvested, the time may come when you're ready to receive your dividends in cash.

Manage an Inheritance by Investing It

If you recently came into an inheritance, one of your options is to use the inheritance for investing. This is often the best choice if you wish to make the most money possible with your inheritance. Investing is not difficult if you take it step by step.

Hire a professional financial planner to help you chose the best ways in which to invest your money.

Have items that you've inherited appraised so that you know their true value.

Sell items that you've inherited. Often, friends or family members of the deceased will wish to purchase items such as cars, houses and jewelry.

Pay taxes on your inheritance.

Find out the rates of return for investment-fund options. Your financial planner can help you make the best choices.

Diversify your portfolio. Include some risky investment and some solid investments.

Review your investments every month to make sure they are still the best choices for your money.

Manage an Asset Allocation Fund

Every investor knows diversification is important. Investing in more than one type of stock is wise because it gives your portfolio a good balance of high- and low-risk shares. One way to create instant diversification for your portfolio is by investing in an asset allocation fund. It's helpful to learn the basics of asset allocation and find out how you can invest in and manage these types of funds.

Understanding Your Asset Allocation Fund

Find out what asset allocation funds are. Asset allocation funds invest in a variety of assets like precious metals, bonds, luxury collectibles and cash.

Determine the goal of these types of investments. The objective of asset allocation funds are similar to those of balanced funds in that they both seek to provide consistent returns through lower-risk investments.

Learn how these funds work and how to manage them. Asset allocation funds do not require investors to hold a specific percentage of asset classes. Fund managers have the freedom to switch between asset classes to provide investors with maximum returns as the business cycle shifts.

Buying Into an Asset Allocation Fund

Study the market to determine which mix of investments would best suit your financial goals. You can choose more aggressive funds if you're closer to retirement age, or more conservative funds if you have at least 15 years left.

Determine how much risk you're willing to handle in your investments. Certain assets, such as real estate, may prove to fluctuate more than other assets, like gold.

Compare the past performance of the fund you're interested in with similar asset allocation funds. This will help you feel more confident in your decision to buy shares in the fund.

Check into buying requirements when you've found the fund that suits your needs. Some funds can be purchased directly, but it may be less costly to purchase your shares through a fund supermarket.

Manage a Clone Fund

Have you ever come across a top-performing mutual fund you'd like to invest in, only to find out that it's closed to new investors? You may feel as if you've missed out on a golden opportunity, but you may be in luck. Clone funds, which have been popular in Canada for the last several decades, are showing up more often in American markets.

Understand Your Clone Fund

Find out what a clone fund does. Like its name implies, a clone fund is designed to replicate the performance or strategy of another mutual fund in the hopes that the same measure of success will be achieved.

Learn why clone funds are created. Clone funds are usually designed after mutual funds that are already closed to new investors.

Buy Into a Clone Fund

Look around for several closed funds that interest you. Although you won't be able to invest in these funds, this will give you a good idea as to where you want to invest your money.

Once you've selected a few closed mutual funds, check to see if there are any clone funds. You'll be able to spot clone funds by their Roman numeral "II" designation.

Contact your financial adviser for assistance if you're having trouble finding potential funds. Your financial adviser can work with you to locate alternative clone funds that will meet your financial goals.

Determine the financial objectives of a given clone fund by requesting a copy of the funds prospectus. To save time, you can also try to see if there is any information available on the fund Web site.

Read how the board of directors plans to manage the fund. Since a clone fund is supposed to closely mirror an existing fund, it's a good bet that it will be managed similarly. Still, it's better to find out for sure before investing your money.

Buy shares in the fund through a broker, fund supermarket or the fund itself. After you've purchased your shares, your financial adviser can work with you to develop a system to better manage your new portfolio.

Manage a Blend Fund

Achieving a good mix of both growth and income is an attractive prospect to investors. In the past, it was often difficult to manage complicated portfolios with shares in separate growth and value funds. Blend funds are designed to ease complications and make it easier for the average investor to manage his or her portfolio. It's important to gather information about blend funds and get tips on how to choose the right one for you.

Understand Your Blend Fund

Learn what a blend fund is all about. A blend fund offers a mix of value and growth stocks. There are no fixed-income securities involved in a blend fund.

Find out the role of value stocks. The value stocks in a blend fund are believed to be undervalued by its investors and managers. The potential appreciation of these stocks (once their value becomes common knowledge) is part of the driving force behind blend funds.

Examine the potential of growth funds. The second part of the blend fund is growth stocks. These stocks have the potential for rapid growth, which can translate into large profits for investors.

Invest in Blend Funds

Find a financial adviser to help you establish concrete financial goals. This will help you determine the exact type of blend fund you'll need to reach your target.

Search for blend funds with good performance histories. You can find blend funds by looking in a financial newspaper or by searching the Internet.

Study the prospectus for each company you're interested in. You'll find a lot of valuable information about the fund's objectives and expenses, which should be used to help you make your decision.

Get to know the person who will manage your fund. It's important that you feel comfortable with your fund manager. After all, you'll be investing a good chunk of your money with this person.

Find out where you can buy shares in the fund. This might also affect your decision to buy, as there may be additional fees involved.

How to Manage a Balanced Fund

Investing your money isn't something you should take lightly. Your best defense against losing your future retirement cash is knowing about different types of investment options and how they work. Sometimes, however, it's easy to get lost in the world of investment terms and fees. Balanced funds are one way to navigate through these murky waters, as they're designed to give investors both growth and income with minimal effort. Take a look at what balanced funds are and how they may be able to help you reach your investment goals.

Understand Your Balanced Fund

Learn about your potential investment. Balanced funds are designed to provide long-term capital appreciation, as well as consistent income through investments in a balance of relatively low-risk stocks and bonds.

Study the motivation behind your fund. The theory behind balanced funds is that bond and equity markets don't traditionally move together, which provides investors with a backup in the event that one of these markets experiences a downturn.

Find out what percentage of your fund is allocated for stocks and what percentage is invested in bonds. Most balanced funds use a ratio of 60 percent stocks to 40 percent bonds, but this is not always the case.

Decide whether a balanced fund is something you want to invest in. The cost of investing in a balanced fund can often exceed the costs of purchasing bonds and stocks yourself and trying to manage them on your own.

Buy your stocks directly from the fund manager, if possible. This is the least expensive way to purchase shares. However, you can also go through a broker or buy from a fund supermarket.

Appreciate the convenience of your balanced fund. Since balanced funds are designed to give investors good growth with relatively low risk, they are easy to manage.

Examine your portfolio every year to re-balance your fund. Being attentive to your fund will allow you to receive maximum profits from your investment.

How to Legally Set up a Stock-Based Pension Plan for a Corporation

Setting up a stock-based pension plan is a smart incentive that can offer companies and employees a number of benefits. When employees know that their net worth increases as the business prospers, it can generate increased loyalty and production. Also, if the value of the company's stock decreases, the company itself doesn't have to deposit funds to bolster employee pensions, as may be required in other forms of plans.

Understand Stock-Based Pension Plans

Consider what kind of pension plan fits your needs. All pension plans fall into one group: defined benefit or defined contribution. Defined benefit plans tell employees exactly how much they will receive at retirement. Defined contribution plans tell them how much will be invested on their behalf, while the value at retirement will reflect market gains or losses.

Discuss the risks of stock-based pension plans with company members. If the company's stock drops to nothing, so do the benefits to be received at retirement.

Know that stock-based pension plans are called Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs).

Set Up Your Stock-Based Plan

Find a corporate attorney to help you legally set up a corporate trust fund into which you will deposit stock (see Resources below).

Fill out Form 5500 every year (see Resources below). This form is required by the United States Department of Labor and provides accounting and employee information to the government. It's important to stay legally compliant with all of your pension plan accounting to avoid audits and fines.

Learn To Make Money In Forex Trading With FREE E-Course

If you're interested in forex trading, this is a great way to learn how to make money at no cost.

Forex trading has become very popular among investors of all levels. If you are interested in improving your forex trading skills, there are several places to get free training.

In doing a search of "free forex courses" you will get several results for great free e-courses, e-books and more. These types of courses provide you with techniques and strategies to increase your profit.

When researching available courses, try to avoid the companies that promote forex trading directly on their site. Rather, look for courses designed and written by experienced traders.

How to Know the Kind of Investor You Are

We have three types of investors in the stock market.

The Investors are:

GAMBLERS:
These set of people are those that do not know anything about shares, all they do is “try your luck”. At times they get fortunate by getting good returns from the shares they gamble on and on the other side, lose as well.

TRADER/SPECULATORS:
These set of people buy shares and sell after awhile. They are not long term buyers, to them “shares” simply mean market; they buy when it is LOW and sell out when it gets HIGH to make profit. It is a business to them; they also lose at times when the shares do not rise for some period of time because business is all about PROFIT/LOSS.

REAL INVESTORS:
These set of people are those that are called the partakers, why? This is because they buy the shares and leave it for years to yield so much interest. They are long-term buyers that do not wait for a fast return. That’s why they are called REAL investors.

Step5

Where do you want to belong?

Invest in Silver To Protect Yourself Against Inflation

If you have been considering investing in silver as a hedge against inflation and uncertainty here are a couple of ways to do so.

In the 1960's our government phased out silver as money. Now our monetary system is purely a "fiat currency" which means that it is worth in theory at least what the government decides it is worth and that the government can make more of it at the stroke of a pen.
Silver and gold are considered a safe haven during inflationary periods such as we are having now.

There are a couple of ways you can add silver to your portfolio.
This first is to buy shares of physical silver through an exchange traded fund such as iShares Silver Trust. You can buy one share or a hundred, symbol SLV, through a discount broker and also in our Roth or Traditional IRA's. Your share of silver sits in a vault somewhere.

For those not comfortable with letting someone else hold their silver you can buy silver bullion outright from companies such as the American Precious Metals Exchange or APMEX. Shipping will eat up some of your investment on smaller orders but if you order larger quantities the flat rate shipping is a bargain. You can buy old US coins, which are up to 90% silver for a price close to the spot value of silver.
You can also buy APMEX or other manufacturers .999 silver bars and rounds (silver dollar size) for slightly more.

Other ways of buying silver are "junk" silver which may be sterling silver medallions, commemorative coins, etc. This can be a value but also more difficult to sell. Bags of silver coins and rolls as well as ten ounce bars are easy sell back to companies such as APMEX.
Silver is a good investment because it has value as an industrial metal as well as a precious metal. Silver is used in the production of film, x-ray film, mirrors, electronics, solder and more and the physical supply of silver left in the ground will only last around forty years at current mining rates according to figures from the US Geological Society.

Invest in Indian Stock Market (SENSEX or NIFTY)

With US stock market underperforming the global markets over the last few years, it is a good idea to diversify your investment internationally. Emerging markets have been turning in impressive returns over the recent past, especially the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, Indian and China). While they are not immune to US economic woes, their fundamentals remain strong into the foreseeable future. Indian economy is booming and here is how you can easily take advantage.

Buy Indian stock market tracking ETFs.
For instance, PowerShares India Portfolio ETF (PIN) or iPath MSCI India Index ETN offers an easy way to participate. You can buy and sell them just like you would any other stock.

Buy mutual funds focused on Indian companies.
For instance Matthews India Fund (MINDX), Eaton Vance Greater India (ETGIX), JP Morgan India (JIDAX) and the EM Capital India Gateway (EMINX). Note: the latter three funds charge front-end loads ranging from 5% to 5.75%. There are also closed-end funds like the India Fund (IFN).

Buy Indian stocks.
If you are able to research companies listed in other markets, you have couple of ways to buy their stocks. You can either open trading account in the market of your choice (your broker might support this already (Tip: pay attention to transaction fees) or you can look for ADRs of foreign companies which are listed in NYSE (such as INFY).

Buy US stocks that are diversified internationally.
There is nothing wrong with sticking with the US companies that you know and trust but keep in mind that companies that have business abroad would likely give you better return on investment due to better growth prospects and favorable currency exchange rates. Think of Coke, Pepsi, Procter & Gamble, Phillip Morris etc.

How to Invest In Gold As Protection Against Inflation

Gold is one way to protect yourself from inflation. There are a couple of ways to own gold. Here is how to get started.

Since January of 1975 is has been legal for US citizens to own gold. You may buy gold direct from a coin or precious metals dealer or invest in shares of physical gold that are held in trust in a vault for you.

The SPDR Gold Trust, symbol GLD is an exchange traded fund. In other words you can buy one share our a hundred from one trading fee through a discount broker. The price of one share of GLD is roughly equal to one tenth of one ounce of gold plus a small management fee.
Buying shares of GLD allows you to own gold without the hassles of storage, security and shipping.

Another way to buy gold is through a reputable precious metals dealer such as the American Precious Metals Exchange or APMEX. Through these dealers you can buy generic gold bullion at prices just above market spot price. You can find gold bars in sized from one tenth to one ounce and up as well as minted gold coins such as Canadian Maple Leafs which have a very pure gold content.

Other forms of gold ownership include buying coins that have numismatic or coin collecting value. Old US gold eagles can be worth up to several thousand dollars depending on condition and year of coinage.
Both forms of gold ownership have their own advantages.
Gold can be owned in an IRA in both physical form, stored by a trust company in a vault for you, or in the form of shares of a fund such as GLD.

Invest in Global Microfinance

Microfinance is the provision of small loans to the working poor in developing countries to help them start or expand small businesses that can improve their families’ living conditions. Borrowers use some of their profits to repay the loans. Ninety percent of this loan money is currently provided through public funding, but commercial investment is a growing trend. Right now, there are three ways for individuals to participate. You can invest directly in one of the fledgling microfinance funds, but almost all of them have a minimum investment of $50,000. You can invest online through Kiva.org. Here, you can loan as little as $25 directly to a borrower. The repayment rate is about 99.72 percent, but you do not earn interest. The newest option is to invest online through MicroPlace.com, an eBay company. Minimum investments are low. And with the support of its parent company, MicroPlace was able to jump the elaborate hoops required to become a licensed broker dealer through the Securities and Exchange Commission, so these investments do earn a return.

Go to the MicroPlace website, and choose a region and county to invest in. You can select from Southeast Asia, South Asia, Latin America, Eurasia and Africa. Countries will continue to be added as participation by both lenders and investors grows.

Read the summaries of the funds offered for investment in your chosen country. Or you can look at all of the offerings. The summaries include the fund’s mission and terms of investment--annual interest rate, maturity, last date to invest and name of the security issuer.

Click on pictures of individual borrowers, and read their stories. This will show you how your money will actually be put to work.

Click on the fund’s name for more information. There’s a lot here, including more about the mission, the fund issuer and recent borrowers. Scroll down to find facts such as the borrower repayment rate, total loan portfolio, number of active borrowers, average loan per borrower and percentage of women borrowers. There are links to lenders’ websites and financial reports, as well as to a PDF of the fund’s prospectus.

Choose an amount and click the ‘Invest’ button. The minimum initial investment is $100. Subsequent investments can be as low as $50. In developing nations, these amounts can make a difference to someone who’s trying to improve her life.

Invest in Collectibles

The term "collectible" is used in investing to mean any object that does not have a cash flow determining its market value, instead moving up or down in price based wholly on what buyers are willing to pay for it. Traditional collectibles include art, fine wines and rare books, but today, people also invest in a broad range of pop culture items such as toys, games, collectible cards and sports memorabilia.

Get involved in an area of collectibles trading that you're personally interested in. If you're a connoisseur of fine wines, the wine trade might be right for you. If you're an avid baseball fan, getting involved in the trade and sale of baseball cards and memorabilia makes a better choice.

Head to your local hobby shop as well as your bookstore to arm yourself with some reading to do for homework. You'll have to learn all you can about how to invest in the particular collectibles you're interested in, as well as what's currently hot (and cold) in the marketplace.

Make absolutely certain you have a thorough understanding of how to assess a particular collectible's value before you start to buy and sell. Be able to distinguish release dates, condition (poor, fine, good, near-mint, mint), any characteristic markings and indicators of a collectible's rarity.

Know what buyers are looking for. Have an idea of the condition the collectible must be in to fetch a good sale price. Remember that collectibles in poorer condition are valued significantly lower than comparable items in near-mint or mint condition.

Join online discussion forums to link to other enthusiasts in your line of collectibles trading. It's not a bad idea just to lurk and listen to what folks are talking about and what they're looking for. Remember: it's not what collectors have, but what they wish they had.

Keep your eyes open at garage sales and swap meets. Both can be excellent sources of valuable collectibles, frequently at bargain prices.

Learn how to restore collectibles in poorer condition to near-mint or mint condition. You'll find a wealth of information online, depending on the particular collectibles you're interested in. Do a cost analysis to see if it's worth your time (and money) to invest in increasing a collectible's value.

Observe good online auction etiquette at all times if you're planning to sell your collectibles using a popular website such as eBay. Make sure that you disclose every known flaw your item has, and include a photograph. If you get flagged by other users for failing to tell all you know about your item (even if it was an honest mistake), you'll have a much harder time selling your merchandise.

Invest in Brazil's Stock Market

With US stock market underperforming the global markets over the last few years, it is a good idea to diversify your investment internationally. Emerging markets have been turning in impressive returns over the recent past, especially the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, Indian and China). While they are not immune to US economic woes, their fundamentals remain strong into the foreseeable future. Brazil’s economy is booming and here is how you can easily take advantage.

Buy Brazil stock market tracking ETFs.
For instance, iShares MSCI Brazil (EWZ) offers an easy way to participate. You can buy and sell them just like you would any other stock.

Buy mutual funds focused on Brazil companies.
For instance Fidelity’s Latin American Fund (FLATX).

Buy Brazil stocks.
If you are able to research companies listed in other markets, you have couple of ways to buy their stocks. You can either open trading account in the market of your choice (your broker might support this already (Tip: pay attention to transaction fees) or you can look for ADRs of foreign companies which are listed in NYSE (such as PBR, BTM).

Buy US stocks that are diversified internationally.
There is nothing wrong with sticking with the US companies that you know and trust but keep in mind that companies that have business abroad would likely give you better return on investment due to better growth prospects and favorable currency exchange rates. Think of Coke, Pepsi, Procter & Gamble, Phillip Morris etc.

Invest for Your Children's College

One of the biggest expenses you'll face is paying for your children's college. College is expensive enough if you have one child, but having more than one can be extraordinarily expensive. One way to help pay for your children's college is to invest smartly now so that you'll have the finances you need when they graduate high school.

Choose an aggressive mutual fund, preferably one that shows consistent returns of 12 percent or more in interest. These will often produce the best long-term financial gains for your investment.

Explore the possibility of a diverse portfolio. Something many parents should consider is spreading their investments over a large group of securities, including stocks, bonds, mutual funds and even forex (foreign exchange) trading. This is often the best way to earn enough income on your investment to cover a good chunk of the costs associated of college.

Invest in the Coverdell Education Savings Account. While the accounts are limited to only $2,000 per year in tax-free contributions, over the long term, this can easily cover the cost of an education at many great colleges.

Invest early, ideally as soon as your children are born, or even before. This gives your investments the benefit of long-term performance, which often has higher yields, even for low-risk investments like mutual funds or CDs (certificates of deposit).

Invest in a 529 Education Savings Account, which, much like the Coverdell account, permits owners to invest in their children's education in a tax-free account. A 529 doesn't have a maximum contribution limit, which makes it easier for account holders to invest however much they want, whenever they want.

Invest for the Short Term

When you invest in the short term, you goal is to earn maximum interest in the shortest amount of time possible. Many of those who seek to invest in the short term are willing to take big risks with some of their capital, but others simply are trying their hand at earning what they can in a hurry. Often very volatile, but never lacking excitement, short-term investments can be a great way to get what you want right now.

Expect to set aside more capital up front than you would if you were investing in the long term. This offsets the abbreviated time you are permitting your investment to mature. This is truer for lower risk investments like high-rated stocks or 1-year CDs (certificates of deposit).

Find mutual funds with yields over 12 percent. These funds, while risky as short-term investments, are most often able to ensure a higher rate of return and might offer you a better chance to meet your immediate goals.

Invest in short-term bonds. Several short-term bonds can be invested in for a only a year or two. Yields on such bonds are often around 3 percent, however, so in order to see higher yields, you'll need to secure more startup capital.

Invest in real estate. This is far more difficult than simple investing, because you'll need to procure a lot more starting capital, but increasing a home's value and rapidly reselling it (called "flipping") can produce prodigious returns.

Consider investing in a loan participation fund. Loan participation funds offer a tremendous rate of return, but they are among the most volatile. A loan participation fund is basically defined as any investment you make in a company that is trying to use the funds to repay a previous debt. The threat of a default is high, but most investors recover 75 percent or more of their investment when a debtor defaults.

Invest for the Long Term

Investing is one of the best and most important ways you can save money for the future. When you invest for the long term, you are giving your money the time it needs to work for you behind the scenes until you're ready to start cashing in on your accomplishments. Many financial experts also believe long-term investing is a much safer way to increase your gains than short-term investing.

Invest in bonds. Bonds are largely considered one of the safest forms of investment, and they take 20 years or more to mature. The interest rates for bonds are much lower than what you would get from mutual funds or stable stocks, but you can still make solid gains on your investments with them.

Choose mutual funds with a higher yield. High-yield mutual funds often perform better in the long term, with rates of return commonly above 10 percent.

Invest in stocks from stable companies that show continual growth from year to year. Many of the world's larger companies, like AT&T, Microsoft and Texaco, have continually displayed a dependable rate of return from year to year, even if there are times when the stocks suffer setbacks.

Invest in an IRA. IRAs (individual retirement accounts) have terrific tax incentives and enable owners to invest in their futures at an early age. There are often penalties for withdrawing on an IRA prior to maturation, but each type of IRA has different restrictions.

Save your money in a savings account with a high interest rate. Some banks offer savings accounts with interest rates of over 4 percent, making it possible to safely earn interest on your investment without losing money.

Invest for Retirement

Your retirement should be a time of comfort and relaxation, not stress and anxiety over finances. Even if you are only just out of high school, it's a good idea to invest for retirement to get a head start and increase the amount of financial stability you'll see when the time comes for you to leave the work force. There are plenty of ways to invest for retirement, too, leaving you with lots of options.

Invest in an IRA (individual retirement account). IRAs carry a number of terrific incentives, like tax breaks or protection against bankruptcy. More importantly, you can invest in your IRA from year to year and begin to draw on it without penalty once you have reached the age of 59 1/2 years of age.

Invest in steady, dependable stocks, and leave those investments alone. Some companies, like Ford or even AT&T, have been around for decades, and they show consistent, steady growth from year to year, making them great opportunities for investments. Leaving your investments alone ensures you are giving the stocks the time they need to perform to their fullest potential.

Contribute annually or more frequently to a mutual fund. Mutual funds are among the safest long-term investment opportunities, with yields above 10 percent common. In most cases, you are able to withdraw on your mutual fund without penalty, and you can contribute to it as often as you'd like.

Buy either U.S. Treasury bonds or Agency Bonds. Treasury bonds are guaranteed, but have lower interest rates. Agency bonds (those issued by a government agency other than the Treasury) are not guaranteed, but almost always have a higher interest rate.

Nurture your 401k plan throughout your working years. While the 401k shouldn't be your only source of financial stability in the future, 401ks are a terrific way to ensure you have some financial freedom once you leave the workforce. You can even have multiple 401ks: one through your employer and one you can open yourself.