What The SEC Really Thinks About Mutual Funds

Let’s go into the details of why non-indexed mutual funds are such a bad deal. When Arthur Levitt became the head of the Security Exchange Commission in 1993 he had to sell off all of his individual stocks so that people would not claim that he was doing any dirty inside dealing. He decided to put the cash from selling off his stock portfolio into mutual funds.

Mr. Levitt grew very angry when he tried to decipher how particular mutual funds divvied up their cash into specific stocks. He couldn’t make heads or tells from the fancy brochures of the mutual funds called prospectuses. He had been a major player in the stock brokerages for over 25 years at that point and knew that if he couldn’t understand the mutual fund’s prospectus then he knew public investors couldn’t either; it had to be a big scam to suck money out of the public.

In 1980 the US public invested $100 billion into the 500 mutual funds that existed at that time. By 1993 the public put $1.6 trillion into the more than 3,800 mutual funds that existed in that year; talk about growth! By the end of February 2003, at the bottom of the bear market there were 8,200 mutual funds and the public had pumped in $6.3 trillion dollars. Wow! That is a lot of money. What is important to note is that at least 40% of mutual fund money comes in from 401(k) retirement accounts. Today these mutual funds own about 20% of all publicly traded shares of stock. Mutual funds act like a herd of cows buying and selling the same stocks at the same time. This increases the wild price volatility swings in the stock market.

These funds are also sold and managed on pure hype, short term trading, and with key information withheld from the public. All of these factors I teach finance students and investors to avoid! The industry confuses investors by focusing on past performance, which should not be a factor to consider. Many mutual funds are able to cheat the public with excessive fees because investors don’t understand how these big costs destroy their profit. Mutual funds have no interest in educating investors because it is easier to hoodwink the ignorant!

Don’t put your trust in mutual funds unless they are fully indexed. Indexing means that the mutual fund simply uses a computer to buy and sell stocks in the mutual fund portfolio so as to mimic the composition of a major stock market index like the S&P 500. This means that there is no fund manager sucking out needless fees. A good example is the first fully indexed mutual fund called the Vanguard 500 (VFINX) which is also now the largest of its kind.

About the author:

Dr. Scott Brown, Ph.D., a.k.a. “The Wallet Doctor”, is a successful futures trader, real estate investor, and stock investor. Dr. Brown holds a Ph.D. in finance from the University of South Carolina and a Master in International Management from the prestigious American Graduate School of International Business a.k.a. Thunderbird. His 1998 articles in Technical Analysis of Stocks and Commodities were prophetic in predicting an impending stock market crash. He has helped many people become profitable investors teaching them to look out over many years to spot stocks that are low and primed for rise in the new bull market. His second article met with approval by Dr. Bob Shiller of Yale University. Dr. Shiller is the economist that Alan Greenspan most highly regards who coined the term “Irrational Exuberance.” In 1998 he was shouting out to the world to “get out” of the stock market but now he is shouting to everyone that it is time to “get in!” The Wallet Doctor is not only sought after for investment advice and coaching in stock investing but also in futures trading and real estate investing. He also teaches investing in Spanish and Portuguese. His free newsletter www.WalletDoctor.comis jam packed with personal finance and investment tips and advice! His course which is described in detail at www.BonanzaBase.comteaches home study stock market investment students more than an undergraduate or MBA degree in finance...how does he know? Because he is also a university finance professor!

This article can be copied and reproduced only if left intact with the authors details below.

Return to the previous index page: Wealth Creation and Financial Wealth >>

Return to the Main Investment Articles index page: Renting Shares >>

These stockmarket & business articles have been supplied in the interest of Universal Wealth Creation visitors who want to expand their knowledge in the wealth creation & investment fields such as the courses offered by Jamie McIntyre.

Other sites we recommend here at Universal Wealth Creation are: 21st Century Academy with Jamie McIntyre, Universal Trading Solutions which promotes great wealth creators like: Kim Reilly, Simon Martin, Justin Beeton, Louise Bedford, John Kaye, Daniel Kertcher & more. They run great wealth seminars across the country.

Additional speakers that appear at 21st Century Academy seminars are options & CFD gurus Nik Halik and Daniel Kertcher, motivational speakers Justin Herald and Tony Christiansen, Property investors Jason McGuiness, Rick Otton, Mark Rolton and Warren Borsje, Tax structure specialist Leigh Barker, Internet marketers Jenny Armato and Tom Hua, Trading Diary masters Bill Stacy and Andrew Dimitri from Planet Wealth, Kinetic Securities stockbroker Angus Knight and JB Global broker Justin Beeton, & Traders International and Eminis Global specialist Peter Elsworth.

To mention a great option book I highly recommend: Options by Renting Shares. Another great trading author is Louise Bedford who is particulary good at candlestick charting.

Meanwhile, there is a great opportunity to learn about the stock market through reading these kind of articles. Learn about share trading, options, futures, CFD's, derivatives, warrants, indices & more in the stock market. You will also learn plenty about business & finance through authors opinions in the marketplace. Enjoy your journey towards financial freedom.