What mutual funds do you own?

[Squatch]

Finally, my funds are starting to perform very well. I have:

BRAIX, HSGFX, LAFFX, LBNDX, LAVLX, LSBAX

Most of my stuff is in BRAIX (Bridgeway Aggressive II), so it's been hard watching the value of my portfolio fluctuate as much as 3% a day.

So, what stuff do you have and how are you liking/disliking it?

[the Princess]

1. ROFLMAO

You mean after you pay the mortgage - untilities - car - insurance - cable - and buy food you're supposed to have money left???

Imagine that.

Learn something new everyday.

[Squatch]

2. Actually, yes.

I have all of the above, I've been very careful to put as much away as I can.

[skygazer]

3. Mutual funds

Well, hubby and I each put a dollar in a box every time we make love. We both own it so I guess that is our mutual fund. It's up to about fifty bucks - we used some of it to pay the PG & E bill a while back.

[Dora]

6. That's a great idea! COITUS TAX!

[Worst Username Ever]

4. Fidelity

FCNTX, FDGFX, FDIVX, FDVLX, FSLCX

Also the Fidelity Municipal Money Market (tax free savings, beeatch) FTEXX

I bought my first MF when I was 15 and fell in love with the industry. I like fidelity a lot, but as long as you are diversified you are pretty much fine.

[ret5hd]

5. how well do you expect they will perform...

in the future given the rising national debt and the resultant drop in confidence in the dollar, the future dumping of u.s. securities, the future pricing of oil in euros and the resultant dumping of u.s. dollars, the resultant hyperinflation, etc...

glad you are doing well. hope you continiue to do well. don't come here and gloat.

[Squatch]

7. I expect good things from these funds.

I've got about 30 years before I'm going to cash them in.

[Worst Username Ever]

9. I am in the same boat

as the market tanks in the meantime, just keep buying up shares. Cheap, cheap, cheap shares. Over the years the market WILL recover and will likely have another boom at some point. You are doing what you should do.

[Squatch]

12. The hard part is that I want to use this money NOW...

too many toys to buy.

[Worst Username Ever]

13. Yeah, I jsut got engaged this weekend and had no idea she

would want to get married RIGHT AWAY. SO now I am in the awkward position of coming up with some funds. Must.. resist... temptation....

[Squatch]

14. Congratulations. Been married for four years....our first is due in April

[Worst Username Ever]

15. Thank you, and congrats back at ya!! That is great!

[Squatch]

16. Next step is to open a 529 and encourage grandparents to fund it

[Worst Username Ever]

17. That was going to be my next post but ya beat me. 18 years of

growth in front of you. Good luck!

[Squatch]

19. Thanks....

are we the only ones in this thread? Do people have problems with discussing mutual funds?

[ret5hd]

22. shouldn't a self-sufficient responsible adult...

get off the parents teat?

[Squatch]

23. Who said I was either of those things?

[buckettgirl]

8. I was wondering about mutual funds

We are likely to save a large amount of money this month (at least large for us considering we have never been able to save before) we're looking at putting $500 in the bank by the end of the month.
I was thinking that it could be good to invest some of that money in mutual funds, but with the economy/dollar and everything all screwy, it is worth the risk? Also, we would be able to put money into the mutual fund every month (unless a huge catastrophe hits us...)
I do understand somewhat how mutual funds work...like your money is put into a varity of accounts/stocks and such so that over the long term, it could have some good yields...

What's your opinion?

[Squatch]

10. It's more risk not to invest...

Definitely open yourself a ROTH IRA and buy a few stable investments (with the help of an investment professional).

[Worst Username Ever]

11. 10 year horizon

If you don't need the money fro at least 10 years, mutual funds are the way to go. I suggest an "S&P index fund."

[buckettgirl]

18. I'm trying to think ahead, like for when (if) we retire.

I'm 23 and my husband is 29, so I know the sooner we invest, the better.
Do you think it would be possible to get a free consult with a professional to talk about if this is feasible for us?
Are there usually fees that go along with setting it up?

[Squatch]

20. First rule of investing...nothing is EVER free...

Find yourself a reputable broker (like Edward Jones, etc.) and lay out your goals.

[illflem]

24. VSEQX

has been good to me, about 8% so far this year, 46% last.

[Modem Butterfly]

35. Try an ING Orange Account First

2.25% APR, no fees, no minimums and no penalties. Sock the money into an Orange account while you're doing your research and pooling your funds.

[Squeech]

21. Defensive investing

My 401k contributions are going into FDIVX, Fidelity's Diversified International Fund. I expect the budget deficit will make interest rates go up, making US stocks less attractive, and I expect the trade deficit to hurt the dollar relative to other currencies. So I thought it'd be a good idea to invest in other markets.

It's possible that the S&P 500 would be almost as good-- large cap stocks are pretty much all multinationals by now.

[Midlodemocrat]

25. I honestly don't know.

Our broker does all that and we have been getting pretty good returns on both 401Ks, deferred comp fund and our mutual funds. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[Squatch]

26. I want to start my 401k for the obvious tax reaasons, but our

plan has really junky funds.

[Midlodemocrat]

27. Start it anyway.

...especially if your company does a match. Even with junky funds, the tax implications are huge. Also, you never know when the fund genie will impart some good news to your funds. Additionally, your company may change funds. Mine has, twice.

[Squatch]

28. Yeah, you're probably right...

I just need to get off my butt and start.

[Midlodemocrat]

29. Now is probably the right time

...most companies hold open enrollment this time of year. Do it!! You won't be sorry. Even if the funds suck, you will still be saving.

[Squatch]

31. Yes sir and/or ma'am.

Actually, I have to mail in my benefits package tomorrow. Looks like I'll be making some changes.

[Midlodemocrat]

33. Ma'am

and I hope I didn't come across as bossy, I was just trying to emphasize the benefits to you and your family. There is a lot to it, you can borrow against it, take some out in the event of a catastropic illness, etc. It really is a great way to save money. And, you probably won't even notice the difference in your check, because the amount is deducted before they calculate taxes, so you will pay less tax.

[Squatch]

34. Of course not...you just made me get off the fence...thanks!

[Midlodemocrat]

36. My pleasure. n/t

[Worst Username Ever]

30. Look at it this way

My company allows me to only invest in co. stock, which is STUPID. BUT... they match 50% or the first 6%. So if I but it 6%, and lets say that is 10 bucks, they throw in 5 dollars. I LITERALLY just made a 50% return on my investment and I did it instantaneoulsy. People on wallstreet dream their whole careers of making a 50% return in an entire YEAR, and I do it every week with my 401K contribution. Just do it brutha.

[Modem Butterfly]

32. You know, it's weird...

...we have investments. We have some mutual funds. But for some reason, the thought of posting about them on DU makes me extremely uncomfortable. I have no idea why, and I'm not being sarcastic. I never realized I had a hang-up about money of all things. Strange.

That being said, I want to recommend every DUer to get out of CDs and get into an Orange Account from ING. No fees, no penalties, no minimums, and a 2.25% APR rate at the moment. We used to keep our emergency money in a series of laddered CDs but found the rates at ING to be so favorable and the hassles to be so minor the CDs simply weren't worth it. Modem says "Check it out!".

[Jack_Dawson]

37. Janus baby, Janus

JANSX, JAOSX, JAMRX

[illflem]

38. Janus? you're kidding right?

Maybe if you look at their charts in the mirror



http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=JANSX

http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=JAMRX

http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=JAOSX

[Jack_Dawson]

40. Whose charts HAVENT looked like that?

:shrug:

[illflem]

41. Mine!

[GOPisEvil]

39. Unfortunately, my choices are limited, but, I own...

...Vanguard Wellington (VWENX), Vanguard Growth Index (VIGIX) and Fidelity Diversified International (FDIVX).