Mutual-fund

As a college student, I really wanted to take advantage of the current good market, but I didn't have a clue as to where to start. This book starts off by clearly explaining in layman's terms the in and outs of mutual funds. The author defines common terms and practices, and then he lists the 100 best mutual funds, broken down into specific types of funds, i.e. Aggressive Growth Funds, Balanced Funds, etc. Don't worry that the information in this book will soon be outdated, this book can be used as a long lasting reference. The information in the opening chapters can definitely be used in the future, and even though the performance of the top 100 funds changes from year to year, the companies listed are consistently top contenders. As further proof of my belief in this book; a week ago I knew nothing about investing, this week I made my first calls to several mutual funds to request prospectus'!

In the large market of mutual funds, there is a good chance that you can choose the wrong fund. This book will teach you the ways in which to investigate, buy, and trade mutual funds. I found the information contained about each mutual fund, it's purpose, value, etc. to be in depth and easy to understand. The explanations of statistical data are to the point, and the mutual funds listed as the best are convincing. Williamson explains the do's and don'ts of mutual funds and all of the lingo is explained. Get this book before you buy a fund!

I can't understand how a book that claims to offer/judge the best mutual funds in America can include any non-speciality load funds in the group. The author lists many equity funds with large loads and returns that are less than many no load funds he didn't list. Given the fact that there are so many no load funds with outstanding performance it just does not make any sense to include load funds in the book.

This book's title should really read "the 100 best (mostly loaded) mutual funds to own in america". I would not recommend it if you are building your portfolio with no-load mutual funds. Kirk Kazanjian's book would be a good alternative.

The book is kinda of a dump of data and conclusions that the FastTrack people originated years ago. Skip the book and go to the source.

This very short book can be read in a single sitting. It gives 17 pieces of sound advice for the conservative investor. Much of the advice is fairly obvious to anyone with more than six months of investing experience. Not a book for the daytrader or the system trader.

Short and sweet and full of meat, Richard Rodman's book is divided in 17 brief chapters that give you an incredible financial education. Whimsical illustrations make it fun to read. If you're into building your wealth, don't miss this one! And if you want to promote your business better, get a copy of Shameless Marketing for Brazen Hussies.

A must own. If you only buy one book buy this.

Investor Robert P. Miles tells you everything you ever wanted to know about Warren Buffett's legendary Berkshire Hathaway. The company's plain-living, financial wizard of a chairman dominates this inventive and informative inside tour. The format - a listing of 101 reasons to own the stock - enables Miles to deliver a massive amount of information. Each entry is straightforward, packed with plenty of supportive data and a lively read. We from [...] recommend this book to investors and to anyone who'd like to know more about Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway, the only stock that comes with an owner's manual.

Not often does one have the luxury of someone so clearly defining the investment merits of a company and Robert Miles delivers in spades.

Security analysis and the study of investment theory should hopefully culminate in one finding and understanding the greatest vehicles for investment success. Robert Miles has made the investment process that much easier with his illumination of Berkshire Hathaway. I have probably read 90% of the material ever written by Warren Buffett or about Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway and this is as comprehensive as it gets. This is not just a book about Berkshire but a personal journey that identifies and understands the key ingredients of a successful investor. Berkshire Hathaway's outstanding long term performance should lay to rest academia's fascination with the efficient market theory. I believe that any stock investment made should be measured against the returns of Berkshire. This will eliminate many investment mistakes, heartaches and be very rewarding financially.

Robert refers to Warren's annual shareholders letters as the only investment book and advice that you will need. They represent the summit of investment thought from the greatest investor who has ever lived. Geico, Washington Post represent Warren's "ideal" of compounding tax free as long as possible. Shareholder's evidently take Warren's long term buy and hold strategy of stock investing to heart as share turnover in the company is a minuscule 3% a year. Ten thousand dollars invested in Berkshire seventeen years ago would be worth over one million dollars now.

Robert Miles openly shares his failures and triumphs of his 30 year journey of stock investing with the decisive point his investment in Berkshire Hathaway. Ultimately, investing is a reflection of one's character developed over the years and Robert understands the traits of a successful investor and vividly portrays them in this book.

Thanks for the great book Bob.

I just finished reading the 101 Reasons for owning Berkshire Hathaway book and found it very educational, enlightening, and exciting. Congratulations to Robert P. Miles on this outstanding contribution to our investment education and the clever way he made his points and presentation. I wish I had known its contents and wise counsel 30 years ago!

Mutual funds offer beginners the best entry point into the investment world. But with thousands of funds available and fund managers competing aggressively for your money, how can an educated and sensible decision be made? This book is a key educational tool. Written in an organized and easy to understand format, all pertinent information is included. Readers will learn about the difference between load and no load funds, specialized funds, purchasing and cashing out shares and various tax implications, among many other topics. This should be required reading before making any investment in mutual funds.

The 2003 edition of The 100 Best Mutual Funds uses data through December 31, 2001.
The book is primarily a collection of two page profiles on each fund. The profiles start with a 5 star ranking system to grade Total Return, Risk Reduction, Management, Current Income and Expense Control. Next the author uses 5 category grades to evaluate up-market performance, down-market performance and predictablility of returns. The grades are excellent, very good, good, fair and poor. I have two problems with these grading systems. First, the categories are too broad, second the author does not specify which time period or periods he used to determine the up and down market performance.
Finally, the two page profiles should be replaced with tables. Tables would make it easier to compare the mutuals funds in each category to one another. Tables would also eliminate the "same words but different numbers" monotony of the text.
I would recommend using Standard & Poor's Net Advantage database if it is available at your local library. If not the American Association of Individual Investors www.aaii.com provides a quarterly mutual fund data table, focusing on low load funds, at a reasonable price. The table can be downloaded into an Excel Worksheet so you can use Excel's filter feature to produce a list of funds with specific criteria.

general information about mutual fund, something you can easily find on the internet.

A mutual fund is essentially held by shareholders and managed
for an investment fee. This book discusses some of the top
mutual funds in the market together with the considerable
returns. Top funds are American Century Global Gold,
Vanguard Health, Longleaf Partners, Clipper and Calamos Growth.
These funds all have a double digit yearly rate of return.
Aggressive growth funds tend to have the maximal capital gains.
These funds can turn downward in a faltering economy so it is
critical to invest coincidentally with an upturn. If you catch
the bottom of a recession and invest, it is possible to
have three to four times your money in just a few years.
Many of these funds have good investment newsletters which
are important to read carefully. The key is to diversify risk
by placing your portfolio in a managed risk mix of investments.
i.e. safe returns, intermediate risk and aggressive funds