What You Need to Know: The Nine Essential Fund Facts

Step 6: What Services Does the Fund Offer?

Point 9: Other Services Provided by the Fund

A wide range, including but not limited to:

• Exchanges;
• Retirement plans for individuals and large and small businesses (e.g., IRA, SEP, Keogh, 401(k), 403(b), etc.);
• Automated information and transaction services by telephone or personal computer;
• Electronic transfers between your fund and bank accounts;
• Automatic investing and automatic exchange.

What to Look for: This is the chance for the fund to tell you what services they offer, and as fund competition has heated up, more services have been offered and more funds offer the full menu. Not all services may be listed, so if you don't see one you need, call the fund to clarify their offerings.

The Complete Profile

Comparing funds with the same investment objectives side-by-side on these nine points will make your first cuts all the more sharp and boost your initial screening efficiency. But, is it enough information to make an investment decision?

No. Get the annual report and the full prospectus, and read them. Before making a final decision, look at performance comparisons to peer group funds as provided by AAII's Quarterly Low-Load Mutual Fund Update or the annual Individual Investor's Guide to the Top Mutual Funds, for example.