Saturday 30 April 2011

Mutual Funds or Stocks?

Making the right kind of investments has become more and more necessary these days. Mutual funds and stock direct investments have been the most popular forms of investing for a long period. The consistent returns given by these forms of investments have increased the faith of people in them. Stocks or mutual funds can give phenomenal returns to investors in the longer term. After reading the explanation on mutual funds or stocks below, you will get to know which is better mutual fund or stocks, easily.

Stock Investments vs Mutual Fund Investments

In the mutual funds vs stocks comparison, knowing about the advantages and disadvantages of both forms of investing is essential. First, let us discuss about the direct stock investments. Stock market investments can be of two types - long term investments or short term investments. Long term investments in blue chip stocks can pay off really well and can generate superior returns than any kind of mutual funds. By doing such type of investment, you also get the advantage of dividends declared by companies. Dividends are nothing but the distribution of profits among the shareholders by the company. You can also benefit from the allotment of bonus shares which will obviously increase your percentage holding in the company. There are many people who have made millions by holding on to quality stocks such as Microsoft over a number of years. High profitability makes the mutual funds or stocks comparison more in favor of direct stock investments.

However, the risks associated with stock investing is much more as compared to that with the mutual funds. Trading in volatile stocks has made many investors suffer huge losses. This is because of the less liquidity and speculative nature of risky stocks. The problem arises when investors get trapped at higher levels and are unable to sell off their stakes due to the lack of buyers. To benefit from the high yield stocks 2011, one should have a thorough stock research and good technical analysis skills. Though stock predictions from experts can really be useful, self study is crucial for success.

While choosing among mutual funds or stocks for investment, you need to take into consideration your risk taking ability. Mutual funds for dummies can mean consistent returns over the years in the range of fifteen to twenty five percent provided they invest in the right kind of fund. Most experts in the mutual fund industry will suggest you to invest in diversified funds to minimize your overall risk. A diversified fund will invest your money in different investment instruments, thus beating uncertainties in the market. There are plenty of high yield mutual funds and the chances of losing your money here are relatively less as compared to stocks. Top performing mutual funds will give you more relevant information.

When you make stock investments on your own, you might not be aware completely of the market conditions and may end up taking the wrong decision at the wrong time. In case of mutual funds, they are professionally managed by fund managers who have high level of expertize as well as experience in the capital markets. These are highly educated professionals from major business schools and hence you can rely on those who have given consistent results in the past. By now, you must have got the right answer for your question - which is better mutual fund or stocks. The following Buzzle articles will help you take the right investment decisions:

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