Conference nyoss1::market_investing

    Asset Manager is essentially a balanced fund, with some bonds, some
    cash and some stocks. It's likely to have low volatility and low but
    steady returns.  Keywords are likely to be "safe", "boring" and "you
    pay more to feel safer".  You could probably find a cheaper balanced
    fund.  Active management usually means higher fees (I don't have fee
    info available).
    
    I haven't read a write up on Growth and Income (I or II) recently, but
    I would expect it to be a fund that buys dividend-paying stocks and
    some bonds--also safe and boring, possibly more volatile that the
    Asset Manager.
    
    20th Century Ultra is neither: it's a super-aggressive growth fund
    with expected high volatility and hoped-for high returns.  Doubling
    or halving your money in a year is possible.
    
    Are you trying to find _one_ fund or put together a package to meet
    your growth and "sleep at night" needs?
    
    		-John Bishop

    Fidelity will send you a kit which contains a worksheet which will help
    you understand the degree of 'risk' you will actually tolerate.  It'll
    then cross-match your 'risk' and goals into their funds.  You might
    consider calling Fidelity and ask for the kit - no obligation.  Once
    you determin your 'risk' and goals you might check out Morningstar at
    the Library and find suitable alternatives besides Fidelity.  The more
    you know the better you feel about making the choice of where to
    invest.

re: .1

Yes, I was looking to put together a package with varying degrees of risk
and hopes for returns. On average, I'd like to try to achieve a 12-15%
annual return. I have about 6K to begin playing with and I think that 3-4
funds will be the most I can handle tracking right now (considering I 
do all the tracking for our 401K's and we're spread out across a total
of 10 already)

re: .2

I had just ordered this package hope to receive it soon!

Thanks...

    If you only have 6K to play with, you may not want to start
    with Fidelity funds, since almost all the Fidelity funds require
    a minimum $2500 initial investment.  This will limit your choice.
    Getting the Fidelity package is a good idea.  Although most of
    the Fidelity funds are load funds, there are still some very
    good no load funds, such as Balanced, Equity Income II, Value etc.
    Once you decided on your profolio, you can look into each fund
    more closely.
    
    Wendy 

    However - if you invest in Fidelity as an IRA the minimums are $500,
    not the $2500 and if it's an IRA they'll wave the fees on Load funds
    with 3 or 4 exceptions.
    There's a Fidelity office on 3A in Burlington with a bunch of handouts.

    I have been happy with Fidelity Assets Manager- growth over the past
    year. The return is for me all I was looking for in a Growth Fund.
    
    I also have money in Fidelity Puritan Fund and this has done even
    better for over three years. 
    
    You are now at the funds highest cost, so be sure that this is the
    proper timimg for you own needs. 
    
    * Remember you can borrow from your 401k and this may be an excellent 
    time for you to do this for those house repairs and the alike large
    expenses, but remember you decrease your holdings while you are paying
    back the amount you borrowed. The plus is you are giving yourself the
    interest instead of someone else.
    Ron-  

    If you read any of the investment magazines intended for us average
    investors, they advise against borrowing against your 401K or Keogh.
    

  I have read that but I really don't agree with the reasoning.  As long as you
can afford the payments it is better for you to pay yourself.  If you can't
afford the payments but this is the only way to get a loan than that is a
different matter altogether.

      
    Vanguard has a nice selection of mutual funds suitable for
    the ordinary joe/josephine.  This family of no-load funds has
    a reputation for good performance with low overhead.  They're
    based in Valley Forge, PA.
    
    Q: Was low cost one of the reasons Vanguard was selected for SAVE?
    
    T. Rowe Price is another good family.  Also, they have a guide to
    retirement planning like the one Fidelity offers.  No obligation.
    Tel: 800-225-5132.
    
    Always counting my pennies,
    Jerry
    

    Scudder, as a family of funds, might also be good for you as well since
    most of their funds have minimum requirement of only $1000. However,
    check the track record on their funds before you invest. Their bond
    funds, like their International, Short-Term, Municipal Bond funds have
    a good track record. Their stock funds, however, depending on which one
    you are talking about, have a mixed track record, so look at these
    closely.
    
    Curt

    FYI RE: SCUDDER,,
    
    If you request info from Scudder expect to be bombarded with follow-up
    mailings.  I requested some Prospectus info from them on some of the
    stock funds and got what I asked for....and then a ton more!  Their 
    fees are absorbing the cost of distirbuting this much paper.  I've
    never seen the likes of this voulme of promotional mail from a MF
    company - and I have gotten info from many.
    
    FWIW
    
    Good Luck!
    
    
    Tim

can't be any worse than Fidelity...I requested something a couple of years ago
and I'm still getting stuff...it almost seems like they think that anyone who
asks for info surely must have become an investor.

/mtb

Hmmm.  I only get info that I request from Scudder, and I have a 
fund with them.  I guess they keep mailing you stuff till you send
money?

John Piekos

    Only mailings I ever got from Scudder which weren't justified were the
    separate mailings of quarterly and annual reports which used to go to
    every account holder,meaning that we got FOUR copies of everything.
    That is now changed so each household only gets one copy of a report 
    providing there is only one last name associated with that household.
    This saves money. Scudder's fees are no higher than anyone else's.
    
    Ken