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Mutual Fund
Irene Ortiz
CHARLES W FLANAGAN HIGH SCHOOL
Zip Code: 33028
Contact Irene Ortiz

Page Last Updated Oct 29, 2008
Number of Visits: 761

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Set Up a Mutual Fund Portfolio

 

You have graduated from college (with no credit card debt thanks to your Academy classes in high school!) and have been employed for two years. You have already set aside three months salary as an emergency fund and you’re now ready to begin investing to build wealth for the future.  You have $25,000 (over and above your emergency fund) and you’ve chosen to invest it in mutual funds.  Let’s get started.

 

 

1.    Determine your risk tolerance. To begin, take these two online quizzes:

 

A. http://www.nmfn.com/tn/global--forms--risk_calc_pg

Write your score here_______.

 

B. http://www.investored.ca/Quizzes/InvestorPersonality/quiz_investor_personality.htm

Write a description of your risk tolerance:________________________ ________________________________.

 

 

2.  To answer the next set of questions, go to www.schwab.com, click on the Investment Products tab, then Mutual Funds tab, then Portfolio Solutions (on the left), then Schwab Portfolios. Scroll down and use your mouse to show and review the five different portfolio models. Based on your level of risk tolerance, circle the type of portfolio you plan to build:

 

Conservative                        Moderately Conservative                Moderate

 

Moderately Aggressive                           Aggressive

 

 

3.    Complete the portfolio allocation for this type of portfolio?

 

_________ % _____________________________________________

_________ % _____________________________________________

_________ % _____________________________________________

_________ % _____________________________________________

_________ % _____________________________________________

 

For the type of portfolio you have chosen, answer the following:

Average Annual Return (1970-2006) ___________________%

Best Single Year Return _____________________%

Worst Single Year Return _____________________%

 

 

4.    Now you’re ready to choose your mutual funds. Follow these rules:

a.    For your Large Company Equity holdings, split your money evenly between Growth and Value Funds.

b.    For your Small Company Equity holdings, split your money evenly between Growth and Value Funds. You may choose either small or mid-cap funds here.

c.    Do not buy industry or sector specific funds.

d.    For International Equity holdings, make sure to invest in at least one fund that has exposure all over the world, or use two or three regional funds (Asia, Europe, etc.)

e.    For Fixed Income holdings, look for Intermediate-Term, high quality bond funds that hold both corporate and government bonds.

 

To continue, go to www.morningstar.com, click on the Funds tab, then scroll down the page and look for the Fund Screener on either the right or left side. Use the fund screener to narrow down your search. Look for

 

a.    Funds in the appropriate Group and Category

b.    Funds that have a manager with a long term track record (5 years is okay, 10 years is better).

c.    Funds that have good long-term track records (5 and even 10 years)

1.    Good category rank

2.    Beats benchmark consistently

d.    All things being equal, funds with lower expense ratios are better

e.    All things being equal, no-load funds are better

f.     Funds with an initial dollar investment that meets your criteria

 

5.    Pick your funds. Depending on your portfolio allocation and the funds you choose, you may have as few as 4 or 5 funds, and as many as 7 or 8. List the funds chosen, dollar amount to invest, and percentage invested here:

 

Fund Name

$ Amount Invested

(must total $25,000)

% of portfolio

(must total 100%)

Type

(see below)

1. Cash  (Money Market Fund  or  CD)             

_______________

___________

___Cash_

2. ________________________ 

_______________

___________

_________

3. ________________________ 

_______________

___________

_________

4. ________________________ 

_______________

___________

_________

5. ________________________  

_______________

___________

_________

6. ________________________  

_______________

___________

_________

7. ________________________  

_______________

___________

_________

8. ________________________  

_______________

___________

_________

 

Type: LG, LV, LB, MG, MV, MB, SG, SV, SB (large, mid or small; growth, value or blend) FI (fixed income or bond) I (international)

 

6.    For the final step, provide details on four of your funds on the following page. Include at least two equity (stock) mutual funds and one fixed income (bond) fund.

 

Fund 1

 

Fund Name________________________________________________________

Ticker Symbol_______________ Category ______________________________

Manager Name ______________________________ Tenure (in years) ___________

Benchmark Index _________________________ Morningstar Rating ________ Stars

Total Return: 1yr__________ 3yr___________ 5yr___________ 10yr___________

+/- Benchmark:  1yr_________3yr___________ 5yr___________ 10yr___________

Rank in Category: 1yr________ 3yr__________ 5yr___________ 10yr___________

Number of holdings (stocks or bonds):________________

Average Market Cap of stock holdings or maturity of bonds: _______________

Top three holdings: 1._________________________________

2._____________________________   3.___________________________________

Describe any loads or is it a no-load fund? __________________________________

For Bond Funds only – Average Credit Quality ________________________

Net Expense Ratio_________________%   Total Assets$_______________________

Minimum Initial Investment $____________Additional Investments $____________

Name three brokerages (fund supermarkets) where you can buy this fund:

______________________   ______________________   ______________________

 

 

Fund 2

 

Fund Name________________________________________________________

Ticker Symbol_______________ Category ______________________________

Manager Name ______________________________ Tenure (in years) ___________

Benchmark Index _________________________ Morningstar Rating ________ Stars

Total Return: 1yr__________ 3yr___________ 5yr___________ 10yr___________

+/- Benchmark:  1yr_________3yr___________ 5yr___________ 10yr___________

Rank in Category: 1yr________ 3yr__________ 5yr___________ 10yr___________

Number of holdings (stocks or bonds):________________

Average Market Cap of stock holdings or maturity of bonds: _______________

Top three holdings: 1._________________________________

2._____________________________   3.___________________________________

Describe any loads or is it a no-load fund? __________________________________

For Bond Funds only – Average Credit Quality ________________________

Net Expense Ratio_________________%   Total Assets$_______________________

Minimum Initial Investment $____________Additional Investments $____________

Name three brokerages (fund supermarkets) where you can buy this fund:

______________________   ______________________   ______________________

 

Fund 3

 

Fund Name________________________________________________________

Ticker Symbol_______________ Category ______________________________

Manager Name ______________________________ Tenure (in years) ___________

Benchmark Index _________________________ Morningstar Rating ________ Stars

Total Return: 1yr__________ 3yr___________ 5yr___________ 10yr___________

+/- Benchmark:  1yr_________3yr___________ 5yr___________ 10yr___________

Rank in Category: 1yr________ 3yr__________ 5yr___________ 10yr___________

Number of holdings (stocks or bonds):________________

Average Market Cap of stock holdings or maturity of bonds: _______________

Top three holdings: 1._________________________________

2._____________________________   3.___________________________________

Describe any loads or is it a no-load fund? __________________________________

For Bond Funds only – Average Credit Quality ________________________

Net Expense Ratio_________________%   Total Assets$_______________________

Minimum Initial Investment $____________Additional Investments $____________

Name three brokerages (fund supermarkets) where you can buy this fund:

______________________   ______________________   ______________________

 

 

Fund 4

 

Fund Name________________________________________________________

Ticker Symbol_______________ Category ______________________________

Manager Name ______________________________ Tenure (in years) ___________

Benchmark Index _________________________ Morningstar Rating ________ Stars

Total Return: 1yr__________ 3yr___________ 5yr___________ 10yr___________

+/- Benchmark:  1yr_________3yr___________ 5yr___________ 10yr___________

Rank in Category: 1yr________ 3yr__________ 5yr___________ 10yr___________

Number of holdings (stocks or bonds):________________

Average Market Cap of stock holdings or maturity of bonds: _______________

Top three holdings: 1._________________________________

2._____________________________   3.___________________________________

Describe any loads or is it a no-load fund? __________________________________

For Bond Funds only – Average Credit Quality ________________________

Net Expense Ratio_________________%   Total Assets$_______________________

Minimum Initial Investment $____________Additional Investments $____________

Name three brokerages (fund supermarkets) where you can buy this fund:

______________________   ______________________   ______________________

Type: LG, LV, LB, MG, MV, MB, SG, SV, SB (large, mid or small; growth, value or blend) FI (fixed income or bond) I (international)

 














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