| The best investment fund for average investors | | | | are referred to as specialty funds because they |
| would be an investment fund for all seasons, your | | | | specialize in specific sectors or industries. These |
| best investment to just buy and hold. This | | | | particular sectors focus on areas that qualify as |
| investment package would be a fund of mutual | | | | alternative investments. |
| funds to hold in good times and bad. Where do | | | | The remaining ¼ of your money goes to |
| you find such an investment? | | | | this alternative investment fund, in mutual fund |
| The majority of investors need total balance in | | | | categories as follows: 2 parts international, and 1 |
| their investment portfolio in order to make their | | | | part gold, 1 part real estate, and 1 part natural |
| money grow while avoiding heavy investment | | | | resources or energy. You now have assembled |
| losses. Even the best funds today fall a bit short | | | | the best investment fund I can come up with, |
| of this goal, but you can assemble your own best | | | | and it will look like this: 50% balanced funds, 25% |
| investment fund from the list of mutual funds | | | | money market, 10% international, and 5% each |
| available from the major fund families like Fidelity | | | | to gold, real estate and natural resources. I call |
| and Vanguard. Here are the instructions. | | | | this portfolio a total balance fund... set up to |
| The best investment fund formula: Two parts | | | | weather good times and bad. |
| traditional balanced fund, plus one part money | | | | It's the alternative investment ¼ that really |
| market and one part alternative investment fund. | | | | makes the difference and creates total balance in |
| Mix together and stir once a year for best | | | | your overall portfolio. When the U.S. stock and/or |
| investment results. Putting together this | | | | bond market are performing poorly, you've got a |
| investment fund requires only three steps, and | | | | back up in the form of international investments, |
| the first two are simple. Here's what you do. | | | | gold, real estate and natural resources or energy. |
| Put ½ of your money that's earmarked for | | | | Some day the major mutual fund companies will |
| long-term growth in a traditional balanced fund | | | | likely launch a total balance and/or alternative |
| that allocates 60% to stocks and most of the | | | | investment fund because it makes good |
| rest to bonds. This is the traditional balanced | | | | investment sense. Pension funds and other large |
| portfolio for growth and higher income. Then put | | | | institutional investors expanded their investment |
| ¼ in a money market fund for safety with | | | | horizons years ago. Until that time, putting |
| interest income in the form of dividends. Now you | | | | together your best investment fund will require a |
| have just one step left to achieve total balance | | | | bit of assembly. |
| and the best investment portfolio to hold year in | | | | Once a year you should check to assure that |
| and year out, in good times and bad. Risk level: | | | | your allocation percentages of 50%, 25%, 10%, |
| moderate. | | | | 5%, 5%, 5% are on track and total 100%. When |
| Our final step requires some assembly because to | | | | any of them gets out of line by a couple of |
| my knowledge no fund company offers an | | | | percentage points or more its time to move |
| alternative investment fund; but some offer the | | | | money to get your balance back in line. That's not |
| pieces and parts (funds) you need to complete | | | | a lot of maintenance considering the fact that the |
| the job. They fall under the following categories of | | | | rest of the time you've got real balance working |
| equity (stock) funds: international, gold, real estate, | | | | for you year after year. |
| and natural resources (or energy). The last three | | | | |