Start the Decade Off With…Pneumonia???

Why is there so much month at the end of my money? - Anonymous

With money in your pocket, you are wise, and you are handsome, and you sing well too. – Jewish Proverb

So the “Decade From Hell” had a few more punches to throw before it finally said goodbye. Regular breathing is extremely under-rated, especially when you have what feels like when you have the entire cast of “The Biggest Loser” sitting on your chest.

Now that I’ve crawled out of bed and am trying to get this year up and running, we can finally get back to our regularly scheduled programming. Things certainly haven’t been dull. Palin to Fox News, Carroll leaving USC, Cowell leaving Idol and McGwire finally admitting to steroid use…That’s a lot in just one day. The most important part of the last few days is the impressive win by the New York Jets…and the loss to the Patriots (sorry Pats fans).

Anyway, here we go back into the treasure trove of investment genius that is ZepInvest.com. Bob Carlson is “Wrapping Up a Decade” over at Retirement Watch. The newsletter covers the ups and downs of a decade while also covering several topics that are important for those that see retirement on the horizon. Estate planning, transferring small businesses and converting IRAs are all important things to look at.

At the Chartist Newsletter, editor Dan Sullivan was happy to announce how well the Actual Cash Account did last year. Get updates on the rest of the Chartist’s portfolios. There is advice for those following each of the portfolios as well as for new subscribers with cash on the sidelines.

I hope your year has gotten off to a better start then mine has. We are all on our way. This blog should be back to regular postings again. Keep your eye out for what else we have to offer.

For more information, please go to http://www.zepinvest.com.

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Mutual Funds: The Other White Meat

I think you'll do as well as most professionals. Most professionals don't beat the market. Let's not over-rate my industry. But if you have time, you can be in good mutual funds that have good records. -- Jim Cramer

Mutual Funds and ETFs have become a tremendous asset to the investing public. They have given people an opportunity that they would not have had a generation ago. While there are many who take advantage of $7 trades and build their own portfolios, many people do not have the time, resources or interest in doing the due diligence it takes to effectively manage their own investments.

Armed with Morningstar snapshots and their Barron’s, these people dump cash by the barrel into the mutual fund industry. Not everything is crystal clear though. This is why people come to ZepInvest for knowledge. Let’s see what the wise ones have for us today…

The Moneyletter is celebrating 30 years in print. This monthly piece written by Walter Frank, provides market commentary, has a mutual fund scorecard as well as portfolios built into the newsletter. It also provides a mutual fund profile. The November 20th edition focuses on the PRIMECAP Odyssey Growth & Aggressive Growth funds.

Bob Carlson’s Retirement Watch brings a conservative approach to investing and focuses on using mutual funds. In the most recent release, there is some great information on estate planning, as well as information on annuities and the upcoming tax season. You will also see market commentary, graph comparisons of different mutual funds as well as updates on both mutual funds and ETFs.

The Mutual Fund Strategist by Holly Hooper-Foumier uses technical strategies to “capture mutual fund profits when the market is advancing and protect gains during times of uncertainty.” The newsletter provides six month charts showing both 50 & 200 day moving averages for many of the major indexes. A market timing strategy using ETFs with Buy/Sell recommendations are available as well as information on many mutual funds.

Three more great examples of what is available to you if you are willing to look for it. Of course every single analyst and money manager has a differing opinion and what is going to happen and how to take advantage of it. As you look through these newsletters, find the one that you connect with, that you believe in. Please remember that not every recommendation or idea has to be followed. Make sure you are making the decisions for the right reasons, not just because you read it somewhere.

Tomorrow will be the fifth and final post of the first week here. I’m going to leave it as a wild card for now and see what is interesting tomorrow. I hope the three of you that have actually read this have found some interest here. I’m just here as a guide to point you in a direction, but would love to know if there is anything specific you might want to see.

For more information, go to http://www.zepinvest.com.

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