What is Mutual Fund?

A mutual fund is a type of professionally managed investment fund that pools money from many investors to purchase securities.[1] While there is no legal definition of the term "mutual fund", it is most commonly applied only to those collective investment vehicles that are regulated and sold to the general public. They are sometimes referred to as "investment companies" or "registered investment companies". Hedge funds are not mutual funds, primarily because they cannot be sold to the general public.

In the United States, mutual funds must be registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, overseen by a board of directors or board of trustees, and managed by a Registered Investment Advisor. Mutual funds are also subject to an extensive and detailed regulatory regime set forth in the Investment Company Act of 1940. Mutual funds are not taxed on their income and profits if they comply with certain requirements under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code.

Mutual funds have both advantages and disadvantages compared to direct investing in individual securities. Today they play an important role in household finances, most notably in retirement planning.

There are three types of U.S. mutual funds—open-end funds, unit investment trusts, and closed-end funds. The most common type, open-end funds, must be willing to buy back shares from investors every business day. Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are open-end funds or unit investment trusts that trade on an exchange. Non-exchange traded open-end funds are most common, but ETFs have been gaining in popularity.

Mutual funds are generally classified by their principal investments. The four main categories of funds are money market funds, bond or fixed income funds, stock or equity funds, and hybrid funds. Funds may also be categorized as index (or passively managed) or actively managed.

Advantages and disadvantages

Mutual funds have advantages over investing directly in individual securities:

Increased diversification: A fund normally holds many securities; diversification decreases risk.

Daily liquidity: Shareholders of open-end funds and unit investment trusts may sell their holdings back to the fund at the close of every trading day at a price equal to the closing net asset value of the fund's holdings.

Professional investment management: Open-and closed-end funds hire portfolio managers to supervise the fund's investments.

Ability to participate in investments that may be available only to larger investors. For example, individual investors often find it difficult to invest directly in foreign markets.

Service and convenience: Funds often provide services such as check writing.

Government oversight: Mutual funds are regulated by the SEC

Ease of comparison: All mutual funds are required to report the same information to investors, which makes them easy to compare.

Low Investment Threshold: Since the portfolio is diversified with a no-load fund, investors may have to pay little or no sales charges to own mutual funds[4]

Mutual funds have disadvantages as well, which include:

Fees

Less control over timing of recognition of gains

Less predictable income

No opportunity to customize

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Investment for Expatriates

I decided to write about investment because this is where most of us expatriates are lacking. I have many friends and acquaintances who went home for good but still poor. The purpose of going abroad and be away for a long time from our family has failed! Those sacrifices and homesickness that we endured for long time should not be wasted by ignoring investment.

I think we just need to study investment and invest money so that we have enough money when we retire. 

There are many ways to invest our hard earn money while we are still away from our family, with the time where we can do business online by using internet, we can invest too while working abroad. 

Here are some investments aside from real estate:

Mutual Funds- This investment are good for people who are too busy monitoring and studying stock market. This investment is not too risky compared to stock since it is composed of many stocks. When one of the stocks of the mutual fund is down, still the others are not so the average is not affected well. I have tried this kind of investment and I observed that my money is doubled every four to five years. If you want to learn more about mutual fund, you can make a research in the internet. There are many articles about it and where to invest. By the way this investment has three types of investment: bond investment, bond and equity or balanced- fund and the aggressive which is purely equity investment but with higher returns.

Stock Market - This investment is where you buy a share of a company. This means that you become a co-owner of the company. First of all you have to study the company, its assets, plan and who owns it. Familiarize yourself about the totality of the company because you are buying part of the company. Why would you buy or co-own a company which are not familiar? As the share price of the company goes up, your money increase too but remember there are times that the economy is not good or there is a recession your share will also be affected and it may go down. Stock is riskier but with good return compared to mutual fund so it is up to you to decide but historically stock is still a good investment, it is a long term investment.

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I am back!!!

It is nice to be back once again. Just got busy with my job and other things like investing and studying MBA. How's everybody if there are still visitors here? Once again I will write about expatriates and how to invest while away from our beloved country. Just last week there were conflict again in my country like rebels and massacre. I don't know why we should resort to this kind of bloody conflict.

By the way talking about investment, I am now into mutual fund and stock. I hope you will take time to study investing before you invest.

See you to my next entry next week. Chao!!!

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Money Tips for Expatriates or OFW

Many expatriates or OFW in particular forget to save money when they are already working abroad. In the Philippines there is a seminar from PDOS before leaving to work abroad. The main topic of the seminar is about how to save money while working away from the Philippines away from their family. But most of the expatriates return home only to realize that they are still poor and even poorer before they went abroad. One of the reasons of this is that the OFW forgot to save while away working hard in foreign land. Some were tempted to spent too much money more than what they were earning by buying unimportant things like electronics gadget, gambling, going to nightclubs and even forget their family in the Philippines and even make their own new family abroad.

If you are working abroad you will encounter many trials and hardship, loneliness that will ruin your plan and dream. My advice is to have a constant communication to your family in the Philippines. Make concrete plan and save money for your future in the Philippines.

Here are some money tips for Expatriates or OFW:

1.0 Know what your monthly income and assess if you could invest on something in your country of origin. Maybe you could buy a house or condo unit. Real Estate is a good investment because it appreciates its value faster than other form of investment. It is also a pride to have a house which is the product of your hard work.

2.0 As an ofw you will see many appliances that you could not afford before to buy. Tighten your belt and go for longer gratification by saving and investing your money. You can invest in government securities and mutual fund too. Another thing to avoid buying cars, watches that are very expensive. Just say no to these temptation.

3.0 Spend your money wisely. Always remember that you have a goal to fulfill. Do not change your lifestyle like when you are earning small amount of money when you are in the Philippines.

4.0 If you think that your wife is not a good saver then do not send all your money but just send money for their monthly budget. Do not let your dependent in the waste your hard earn money.

5.0 Tell your wife about your plan or you should update them about your present money status and your future plan so that they will understand to avoid problem.

For more money tips read Earn and Invest Money in my other blog.

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