Messages: What Members Are Asking On-Line

Searching for Funds

How do I find a directory of real estate mutual funds?

—A.C.,
via E-mail

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CI Editors Respond:
Any mutual fund screening system that allows you to search for a specific fund category can be used to locate a current list of real estate mutual funds. For example, the free fund screener on Morningstar.com allows users to select only funds classified as “Specialty-Real Estate.” You can further narrow the list by specifying factors such as the maximum expense ratio, risk, or performance. For a comprehensive examination of fund screening systems, please consult the Comparison article of this issue.

Replacing a Stock Data Vendor

The Web site Hooyaya.com provides archived EOD (end of day) stock data for the U.S. market but will cease operation about March 31, 2006. My subscription to their service ends in June 2005.

Does AAII have a list of archived EOD stock data vendors suitable for a dial-up connection download? I import the data into the FreeCharts program provided by Spacejock.com. I can get data from Yahoo! using the NetStock program by SplitCycle.com, but it is stripped of volume data except on the weekend.

—S.J.,
via E-mail

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CI Editors Respond:
We periodically compare providers of historical quote information in Computerized Investing. Current CI subscribers can view an archive of past issues by logging into AAII.com and selecting the Computerized Investing link under Publications. The Web redesign is forcing us to reprogram our past articles for display within the site, which will take a little time to complete. The most recent comparison of historical data providers ran in the September/October 2002 issue of Computerized Investing, which is currently available on-line.

Checking Newsletter Claims

Would you please advise as to your knowledge of successes (or failures) of the advice of the Prudent Speculator, Value Line Investment Survey, Motley Fool, and especially newsletters like Wize Trade that make all these fabulous claims of investment success?

—B.K.,
via E-mail

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CI Editors Respond:
Mark Hulbert founded the Hulbert Financial Digest and has been tracking the actual performance of investment newsletters since 1990. Hulbert Interactive is a subscription-based Web service available through MarketWatch.com that allows users to research the performance of over 500 portfolios recommended by 160 investment newsletters. The cost for Hulbert Interactive is $149 per year, $19 per month or $9 per day. Beyond examining the performance of a specific newsletter, subscribers can screen newsletters and their picks to look for trends and concentrations.