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How Do You Rank in The Investing Hierarchy?
Copyright 2006 CashFlow Avenue
You probably have heard this saying before - "It is lonely at
the top." If you find yourself in this position, then you are
probably at the top of your own niche. Our society is made of
hierarchies. Most...
New Year's Resolutions For Stock Market Investors
It is at this time each year when we make New Year's
resolutions, to help reduce the gap between where we are today
and where we want to be in the future. Having been able to speak
to thousands of investors over the last five years, I...
Personal Finance Worries?
Are you nervous about your personal finances? The irrational exuberance of the 90s that led to double-digit gains for almost any investment portfolio is over. Now, you might consider yourself fortunate if your investments are losing less than the...
Raising Money
Raising Money It isn't cheap. It isn't easy. The winners in the rush for risk capital are the CFOs (Chief Financial Officers) who understand how to play the money game. Private companies seek risk capital from American Venture Capital Firms (VCs)...
When borrowing money is profitable
If you save money, the money will save you
The problem with most people's finances today is that they are
not getting enough income to satisfy there needs and wants.
People are naturally going to buy things they want even if it
means...
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A SAFE HARBOR FOR MUTUAL FUND PIRATES!
Soft dollars, a form of legal kickback, is a sly way you can get ripped off by mutual fund managers. Full service brokers give these kickbacks to non-indexed mutual funds in the form of a “rebate” to purchase research, software, and even computer equipment.
You pay for these soft dollars! In recent years, the SEC estimated that soft-dollar deals exceeded $1 billion. Typically, $1 accrues for every $1.60 of brokerage commissions paid. Congress made these kickbacks legal in 1975 when it passed the “safe harbor” law. The legislation allows fund managers to pay more in commissions than is necessary, as long as the excess comes back in the form of services or research that benefits investors.
The problem is that this has created an opaque system that can be abused. In 1998, the SEC found that some money mangers were using soft dollars to pay for salaries, office rent, and even vacations! Think about this. You sweat every day at work to make a living. You buy a mutual fund to secure your retirement. Then the person who is supposedly protecting your retirement is sipping Margaritas in Cancun discussing with his or her buddies where to buy their next mansion with your retirement dollars!
The second problem is that many funds are not taking advantage of cost saving efficiencies in their operations just so that they can keep the soft-dollar spigot open. Think about this as well. If you had enough money to not have to work you would spend a considerable amount of time looking for safe places with a good return for your money. You would not waste money on things your family did not want and hence did not need.
Why give your money then to a mutual fund managers who could care less if they waste some of your retirement dollars; its no skin off their back! The best way to avoid these losses altogether is to
Associated Websites
restrict your purchases of mutual funds to your 401(k) and try to only buy indexed mutual funds such as the Vanguard 500 (VFINX).
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!
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