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3%-4% HIGH-YIELD BONDS High-yield "junk" bonds are issued by companies with below-investment-grade ratings. PGIM HIGH YIELD (PHYZX, 4.1%), which focuses on higher-rated junk (that is, bonds rated double- and single-B), has placed in the top performance decile of high-yield funds over the past decade. 1%-3% INVESTMENT-GRADE BONDS In normal times, the core of a typical fixed-income portfolio comprises investment-grade bonds issued by the U.S. Treasury, government agencies and corporations that provide income without large fluctuations in bond price. But today, the sub-5% average yield for "high-yield" bonds is extremely low by historical standards, a function of the current low-interest-rate regime and tight spreads between junk and investment-grade bonds. [Extracted from the article]

Focuses on investment opportunities in India. Comparison of developing markets in China and India; How Scobie Ward, chief investment officer of Lloyd George Management, chooses companies to invest in for his LG Asian Smaller Companies Fund; Suggestion that software companies in India could begin to dominate the industry.

The article discusses the publication's "Kiplinger 25" list of mutual funds. Expectations for rising interest rates have prompted the addition of a bond fund that is relatively protected from increasing rates and pays a good yield. The Harbor Commodity Real Return fund is also being added to the list because the fee it charges is lower than that of the commodity fund it is replacing. INSETS: REACH YOUR GOALS WITH THESE THREE PLANS;Our Picks Deliver Solid Gains.

The article evaluates several funds included in the Kiplinger 25 which includes Primecap Odyssey Growth (POGRX), T. Rowe Price Equity Income (PRFDX), and Vanguard Dividend Growth (VDIGX).

The article discusses the publication's list of 25 top no-load mutual funds. Key criteria for compiling the list included low fees, fund managers with a solid record of performance, and low turnover rates. Several new funds were added to the list including the Vanguard Dividend Growth Fund, which seeks to achieve annual dividend increases three percentage points above inflation and the Akre Focus Fund, whose manager, Chuck Akre, has a long record of success. Another new addition is the Arbitrage Fund, which seeks to profit from mergers and takeovers. INSETS: THREE PLANS FOR ACHIEVING YOUR GOALS;Our Picks Go Through the Roof.

The article offers information about several well-managed mutual funds (MF) in the U.S., which are included in the "Mutual Funds" periodical's top 25 list. These include the large-company fund Fidelity Contrafund, the Marsico Global overseas fund and the Fidelity Low-Priced Stock. The article also offers some advice on how to maximize the after-tax returns of a MF investment.

The article offers suggestions for investors on how to choose the right mutual fund to invest in. One is to review the long-term investment objectives and understand asset allocation. Another is to study the fund holdings and to know more about the fund manager. It is also important for investors to consider valuable information on fund returns and performance during bear markets.

The article discusses the different broker-sold funds or the no-load mutual funds. It explores several examples of no-load funds including the Thornburg Value fund, which is a domestic stock fund, the Thornburg International Value fund, which is an overseas stock fund, the Ivy Asset Strategy fund, which is a go-anywhere fund. It also explains the concept of single-industry funds such as the Eaton Vance Worldwide Health Sciences. INSETS: 12 FUNDS LOADED FOR SUCCESS;Load Clones of the Kip 25.

The article presents information on the top 25 mutual funds recommended by "Kiplinger's Personal Finance" magazine, as of May 2009. Since taking over Fidelity Contrafund in September 1990, Will Danoff has led the large-company growth fund to an annualized return of 11%. The portfolio turnover rate of Vanguard Primecap Core is said to be exceptionally low for a growth fund. Under Joel Tillinghast, the fund has returned an annualized 11% since its inception in December 1989. INSETS: Tax-Smart Investing;After a Miserable Year, We Substitute Five New Funds;THREE PLANS FOR REACHING YOUR GOALS;KEY INFORMATION ABOUT THE KIPLINGER 25

The article discusses the 25 best mutual funds for 2009. The selection is made based on great management and benchmark-beating records, and low costs. It notes that the method used for the evaluation and selection is straightforward which means comparisons are made based on track records of the fund managers, their investment strategy and style, and their performance. Three of the 25 best mutual funds are Vanguard Primecap Core, Dodge & Cox Stock, and Harbor Bond.

The article profiles seven new mutual funds that are run by skilled managers at reputable fund companies. It explains the benefits to investors of investing in newly launched funds. It offers a look at the performance of some new mutual funds in the U.S., including WHG Large Cap Value, Harbor Large Cap Value, Marsico Flexible Capital and Artisan Opportunistic Value. It also advises investors to look for new funds that invest in small-company stocks and which have seasoned managers with good track records. INSET: Dividends from abroad.

The article offers a look at the top 25 mutual funds in the U.S. and elsewhere. It discusses the performance of several large-company stock funds, small- and midsize company funds, and overseas funds such as Marsico 21st Century, T. Rowe Price Growth Stock, Baron Small Cap and Julius Baer International. It also offers some tips to investors on investing in mutual funds.

The article presents some basic facts about mutual funds. It compares the benefits of investing in mutual funds with stock picking. It claims that stock mutual funds can tap double-digit returns. It offers some tips to investors on selecting mutual funds for their investment portfolio and provides advice on selling funds. INSETS: Peace of mind;Beware of fee creep.

The article presents information on excellent mutual funds in the U.S. FBR Small Cap has generated an annualized gain of 18 percent over the past decade under Chuck Akre. On the other hand, Julius Baer International has compiled 17 percent small-company stocks. Younes is also upbeat about the prospects for luxury-goods makers, which serve the rising nouveaux riches in emerging markets such as Russia, China and the Middle East. INSET: DOUBLE DIGIT gains.

The article focuses on investments on newly launched mutual funds. Managers of fresh funds can invest in their picks without having to contend with the baggage of existing holdings. Moreover, new funds are usually small, and smaller funds are more nimble and flexible, which allows them to enter and exit positions without tipping off the market. Richard Evans, a finance professor at Boston College and his colleagues found that large funds have twice the impact when they buy and sell.

This article focuses on some of the best broker-sold mutual funds in the U.S. They include Quaker Strategic Growth, Ivy Asset Strategy, Keeley Small Cap Value, Legg Mason Partners Aggressive Growth, Calvert Large Cap Growth, Pioneer Cullen Value, Thornburg Value and Thornburg International Value. It explains the reasons for the attractiveness of these types of mutual funds. It presents information on the performance of these funds and the people who manage them.

This article looks at the 20 biggest no-load stock funds in the U.S. It explains that the factors considered by this periodical in ranking the 20 biggest no-load stock funds. It says that biggest does not mean better in the mutual funds world, but the stock funds selected in this article are proven champions. They include Dodge & Cox Stock, Vanguard Windsor, Fidelity Low-Priced Stock, Fidelity Magellan, Vanguard Primecap, Fidelity Growth & Income and Fidelity Growth Company.

This article features 15 mutual funds that are best for investments. The mutual funds are Dodge & Cox International Stock, Excelsior Value & Restructuring, Fidelity Floating-Rate High Income, Harbor Bond, Hodges, Homestead Value, Loomis Sayless Bond, Marsico Growth, Merger, Medidian Growth, Oakmark International, Selected American Shares, Skyline Special Equities, T. Rowe Price Growth Stocks and T. Rowe Price Rea Estate. It presents information on the performance of the funds.

The article offers information on the top 10 best commission-charging stock funds in 2006. Since its 1993 launch, Keeley Smell Cap Value has delivered big gains by investing in an unusual niche: businesses undergoing a metamorphosis. At heart, Keeley is a bargain hunter. Legg Mason Partners Aggressive Growth has returned an annualized 14% over the past 23 years. In Victory Diversified Stock's 17-year history, it lost money only one year, 2002, when it fell 23%. INSET: NO-LOAD clones of load funds.

The article focuses on the business strategy adopted by businesswoman Chin Ean Wah. Chin's Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Inc.-Asian Equity Portfolio returned 106% in 1993 and 26% in 1992. Chin Ean Wah runs $2.7 billion in none-Japanese Asian stocks and the rest in other mutual funds and institutional accounts. One of Chin's five largest holdings is Bangkok-listed Finance One, a financial services company with a large stock portfolio. Her biggest holding is Hutchison Whampoa, which dominates container traffic in Hong Kong and is building container ports in coastal China.

The article elaborates on several load mutual funds that are available to investors without a fee through financial advisers, brokerage wrap accounts, 401(k) and 529 plans in the U.S. These include American Funds New World, Franklin Mutual Global Discovery, RS Global Natural Resources and Eaton Vance Worldwide Health Sciences. Information on total return, maximum sales charge and trading symbol are provided.

The article presents information on several closed-end funds. Spencer Davidson considers the stability of the closed-end format as vital to the success of General American Investors. Central Securities runs a closed-end fund and invests in companies of all sizes. The funds run by Royce & Associates specialize in identifying attractively valued smaller-company stocks.

The article looks at the investment style of four mutual fund managers. Rob Gensler of T. Rowe Price Global Stock is partial to growth stocks, preferring companies that increase earnings on the order of 20% a year. David Winters of Wintergreen has been hedging the key risks of inflation and a weak dollar by buying stocks in strong-currency countries and loading up on hard-asset producers. Meanwhile, Don Hodges of Hodges migrates from tiny companies to huge ones, from value to growth, or to wherever he discerns a bargain. INSET: How these funds roam the markets.

The author reviews five promising closed-end funds that focus on stocks and bonds including Claymore Dividend & Income, Source Capital, and BlackRock Core Bond (BHK).

The article discusses the best funds that can protect their clients' investments during economic downturn. It highlights the innovative strategies used by the funds to anchor their clients' investments and their growth prospects. Cited in the article are Hussman Strategic Growth, Permanent Portfolio, FPA Crescent, Fairholme, and T. Rowe Price Health Sciences.

The article discusses which mutual funds can help investors minimize their exposure to capital-gain taxes. It is noted that funds are required to pay taxes even if they have lost money. The author cites several tax-friendly funds which include Vanguard Total Stock Marke Index, iShares S&P 500 Index, Tax-Managed Growth & Income, Fidelity Tax Managed Stock, and Fairholme.

The article focuses on several value investors and how their investments performed in line with the credit crisis in the U.S. It relates the 35% decline of Legg Mason Value Trust fund managed by Bill Miller. It discusses the reasons behind the recent woes which affected the Oakmark Select fund managed by Bill Nygren. Two prominent value investors who have (mostly) coped with the market's duress are Steve Romick's FPA Crescent fund which returned 0.7% over the past year, while Bruce Berkowitz's Fairholme fund (FAIRX) lost 1%.

This article explains that making a decision on which mutual funds to abandon is just as important as which mutual funds to buy. It says that investing in mutual funds is somehow like entering into a relationship. Investors should know their mutual funds well. It identifies factors that should warn investors when to consider parting with their mutual funds. It says that a change of portfolio manager and poor performance are just some of the factors that investors should watch out for.

The article considers the use of closed-end funds as sources of high yield. For one, closed-end bond funds may employ leverage, that is, they can borrow short-term money and invest in long term securities. For bond investors, the closed-end format offers several advantages over regular funds. However, both regular and closed-end bond funds can lose money if interest rates rise. INSET: CLOSED-END BOND FUNDS.

The article discusses the decision of brokerages to leave the U.S. mutual fund business and explains why investors should maintain their shares in mutual funds. Issues of conflict of interest have convinced brokerages to abandon their in-house mutual funds. Most brokers are being pressured by both regulators and clients to address conflict of interest issues. Brokerages such Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch and American Express have experienced severe net outflows of money in line with the demand of customers for more choices. In March 2006, Merrill Lynch was required by the National Association for Securities Dealers to pay a fine for holding impermissible sales contests.

The article discusses the Meridian Growth mutual fund, which the publication has added to its "Kiplinger 25" list of mutual funds. Managed since 1984 by Rick Aster, Meridian has outperformed both the Standards & Poor's (S&P) 500 stock index and the S&P MidCap 400 index for the past ten years. In selecting stocks Aster looks for healthy balance sheets and a return on equity of 15% or more.

The article features investment fund Akre Focus, which was established by Chuck Akre. The fund led the 2009 Kiplinger 25 list of top stock funds in the U.S. It also cites FBR Focus (FBRVX), which invests in small- and midsize companies. The fund registered an annualized return of 12.5%, up by 10% per year on average against the Russel 2000 Growth index and one percent per year greater than the Standard & Poor's MidCap 400/Citi Growth index.

The article reports on no-load mutual funds in the U.S. included in the Kiplinger 25 list. It is noted that majority of the stock, bond and commodity funds performed above their respected indexes in 2009. Some of these funds are Selected American Shares S, Artio International Equity II A and Fidelity Intermed Muni Income.

The article discusses shortcomings of mutual funds, considered as one of the most profitable businesses in the world. First is high cost of management fees which can be avoided by choosing low-cost index funds and shops such as Dodge & Cox and American Funds. Conflict of interest is another factor that affect mutual funds. It is also noted that managers do not consider tax consequences.

The article focuses on several bond funds recommended by "Kiplinger's Personal Finance," as of May 2009. The Harbor Bond favor high-quality corporate bonds, particularly in defensive and regulated areas such as health care, utilities and pipelines. Over the past three years, the Fidelity Intermediate Municipal Income fund has bested the Barclays Capital Municipal Bond index by an average of about one percentage point a year.

The article suggests mutual funds that fund managers consider as noteworthy investments. Jensen is a mutual fund that focuses on companies that generate a 15% return on equity and boosts dividends yearly. Harbor Large Cap Value, meanwhile, focuses on those that regularly boost their payouts, a well as those with stable finances and dominant positions in their respective industries. Another is Amana Trust Income which is a fund that incorporates Islamic principles.

The article recommends several mutual funds in the U.S. According to the author, FPA Crescent Manager Steve Romich is one of the best, most disciplined value-investing practitioners in the business. Loomis Sayles Bond, which came unstuck as bond investors dumped corporate bonds, is expected to rebound. The authors emphasize that this fund is much riskier than a core bond fund.

The article reports on the reopening of Dodge & Cox's funds Dodge & Cox Stock and Dodge & Cox Balanced. Like their sister funds, Dodge & Cox International and Dodge & Cox Income, Stock and Balanced are managed by investment committees at Dodge & Cox. All four funds are strict in buying securities at the right price and tend to hold them for long periods.

The article offers information on the stock-picking strategy of Tilson Focus for mutual funds. Hedge funds cater to the wealthy, luxuriate in secrecy and relish risky tactics. Hedge-fund managers Whitney Tilson and Glenn Tongue use the same stock-picking strategy for the mutual fund that they use for their three hedge funds. For them, growth is but a component of value and cash flow is king. INSET: High-quality BARGAINS.