How to Choose a fund

Costs and Expenses

• Cost Control
  SmartMoney.com
• Sales Loads
  Bogle on Mutual Funds
• Load vs. No-Load Funds
  Investorama.com
• Transaction Fees
  Bogle on Mutual Funds
• Costs Impact Returns More Than Risk
  Common Sense on Mutual Funds
• Rising Expense Ratios
  Bogle on Mutual Funds
• Beware of Wrap Accounts
  Bogle on Mutual Funds

Analyzing a Fund

• Structural Characteristics
  Bogle on Mutual Funds
• Size of Fund
  Bogle on Mutual Funds
• Age of Fund
  Bogle on Mutual Funds
• Tenure of Portfolio Manager
  Bogle on Mutual Funds
• Cash Position
  Bogle on Mutual Funds
• Portfolio Concentration
  Bogle on Mutual Funds
• Market Capitalization
  Bogle on Mutual Funds
• Portfolio Turnover
  Bogle on Mutual Funds
• ExMark
  Bogle on Mutual Funds
• Beta
  Bogle on Mutual Funds
• Gross Dividend Yield
  Bogle on Mutual Funds
• Comparing Funds with the Same Objective
  Bogle on Mutual Funds

Evaluating Performance

• Use Compound Annual Returns, Not Cumulative Returns
  Bogle on Mutual Funds
• Break Down Total Returns Into Capital Appreciation and Income
  Bogle on Mutual Funds
• Selecting Funds Based on Past Performance Is Risky
  Common Sense on Mutual Funds
• Is a 25-Year Track Record Enough to Distinguish Manager Skill?
  Bogle on Mutual Funds
• Ignore Alpha
  Bogle on Mutual Funds
• Survivor Bias
  Common Sense on Mutual Funds
• The Sharpe Ratio Has Its Limitations
  Common Sense on Mutual Funds

The Case for Index Funds

• Index Funds Explained
  SmartMoney.com
• Active Management and Indexing
  Vanguard Group
• Advantages of Index Funds
  Investorama.com
• Indexing Is a Simple Winning Strategy
  Common Sense on Mutual Funds
• The Success and Growing Acceptance of Index Funds
  Common Sense on Mutual Funds
• The History of the Index Fund
  Common Sense on Mutual Funds
• Three Periods in Which the S&P 500 Index Lagged
  Common Sense on Mutual Funds
• Indexing Wins Largely Because of Cost
  Common Sense on Mutual Funds
• Index Funds Don't Get the Credit They Deserve
  Common Sense on Mutual Funds
• Managed Equity Funds Take on More Risk Than You Think
  Common Sense on Mutual Funds
• Not All Index Funds Are the Same
  Common Sense on Mutual Funds
• You Have More to Lose by Betting Against the Index Fund
  Common Sense on Mutual Funds
• Why Coin Flipping Is Like Managing a Mutual Fund
  Bogle on Mutual Funds
• Indexing Is Not an Either-Or Proposition
  Bogle on Mutual Funds
• The Disappointing Reality of Funds That Beat the Market
  Common Sense on Mutual Funds
• Even Investment Advisors Struggle to Select Winning Funds
  Common Sense on Mutual Funds
• Disappointing Returns for Fund-of-Funds
  Common Sense on Mutual Funds

Choosing an Actively-Managed Fund

• If You Decide Not to Index...
  Common Sense on Mutual Funds
• Select Low-Cost Funds
  Common Sense on Mutual Funds
• Consider Carefully the Added Costs of Advice
  Common Sense on Mutual Funds
• Do Not Overrate Past Fund Performance
  Common Sense on Mutual Funds
• Use Past Performance to Determine Consistency and Risk
  Common Sense on Mutual Funds
• Beware of Stars
  Common Sense on Mutual Funds
• Beware of Asset Size
  Common Sense on Mutual Funds
• Don't Own Too Many Funds
  Common Sense on Mutual Funds
• Buy Your Fund Portfolio - And Hold It
  Common Sense on Mutual Funds
• Beware of the Financial Press
  Bogle on Mutual Funds
• The Press and Its Poor Market Timing
  Common Sense on Mutual Funds
• Beware of Mutual Fund Newsletters
  Bogle on Mutual Funds