Researching Funds Through the Internet
Step 1: Where Can I Get Free Fund Data Online?
The Internet was built for speed, whether accessing or updating information. That makes it tailor-made for mutual fund investors.
Classroom Steps
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Step 1:
Where Can I Get Free Fund Data Online? -
Step 2:
Why Should I Look at a Fund's Holdings? -
Step 3:
Which Risk Statistics Will I Find Online? -
Step 4:
What Data Is Specific to International Funds? -
Step 5:
How Do I Judge Bond Funds? -
Step 6:
What Other Useful Fund Information Do Sites Provide?
When comparing mutual funds from different families, a website that storehouses and updates information for all funds makes the comparisons quick and comprehensive. These independent sites also offer many more analysis tools and data than the individual fund sites, which are primarily focused on the information found in the fund prospectus and annual report—and they are all free.
Four broad-based, free online mutual fund analysis sites, along with their Web addresses, are found in the box below.
Where to Surf Online for Mutual Fund Analysis
Morningstar.com
www.morningstar.com
This website gives an initial Snapshot report on a mutual fund. The user can then look into areas such as Performance, Ratings and Risk Measures, Portfolio, or Tax to get a more in-depth analysis of the fund.
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