The Rise Of Mutual Funds

"A terrific new book." --- Chuck Jaffe, MarketWatch.com --

Mutual funds form the bedrock of retirement savings in the United States, and, considering their rapid growth over recent decades, are sure to become even more financially critical in the coming decades. Because the size of fees paid by investors to mutual fund advisers can strongly affect the return on investment, these fees have become contentious in Congress and the courts, with many arguing that investment advisers grow rich at the expense of investors. This groundbreaking book not only conceptualizes a new economic model for the industry but uses this model to test price competition between investment advisers. Its highly experienced authors track the growth of the industry over the past twenty-five years and present the arguments and evidence both for and against theories of adviser malfeasance, as well as the assertion that market forces fail to protect investors' returns from excessive fees. The volume briefly reviews the regulatory history of mutual fund fees and leading case decisions addressing excessive fees. It also reveals the extent to which the governance structure of mutual funds impacts fund performance. There is no greater text for those who seek to understand today's mutual fund industry, including investors, money managers, fund directors, securities lawyers, economists, and those concerned with regulatory policy toward mutual funds

Based on cutting-edge research by leading corporate critic Louis Lowenstein, The Investor’s Dilemma: How Mutual Funds Are Betraying Your Trust and What to Do About It reveals how highly overpaid fund sponsors really operate and walks you through the conflicts of interest found throughout the industry. Page by page, you’ll discover the real problems within the world of mutual funds and learn how to overcome them through a value-oriented approach to this market.

How to prevent runs on open-end mutual funds? In recent years, markets have observed an innovation that changed the way open-end funds are priced. Alternative pricing rules (known as swing pricing) adjust funds’ net asset values to pass on funds’ trading costs to transacting shareholders. Using unique data on investor transactions in U.K. corporate bond funds, we show that swing pricing eliminates the first-mover advantage arising from the traditional pricing rule and significantly reduces redemptions during stress periods. The positive impact of alternative pricing rules on fund flows reverses in calm periods when costs associated with higher tracking error dominate the pricing effect.

A Brookings Institution Press and Nomura Institute of Capital Markets Research publication One of the first rules of investing is diversification: spreading resources over many types of investments in order to minimize financial risk. Mutual funds have been the diversification vehicle of choice for the last several decades. In recent years, however, other opportunities for diversification—such as separately managed accounts and exchange-traded funds—have enjoyed rapid growth. What lies ahead for the mutual fund industry in light of this increasingly competitive environment? In this volume, experts from the United States and Japan look at forces of change in their securities markets and offer their views of the future for mutual funds and other forms of securities diversification. Contributors include Harold Bradley (Kauffman Foundation), Koichi Iwai (Nomura Institute of Capital Markets Research),Ajay Khorana (Georgia Institute of Technology),Allan Mostoff (Mutual Fund Directors Forum), Brian Reid (Investment Company Institute), Henri Servaes (London Business School), Paula Tkac (Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta), and Peter Wallison (American Enterprise Institute).

The Insider's Guide to Mutual Funds will give you instant access to the world of Mutual Funds, helping you develop an investment strategy that will work! The Insider's Guide answers your Mutual Fund investing questions in a clear, concise, eay-to-use format.

Smart readers will invest in this no-nonsense guide. Investing in today’s markets can be complicated and risky for the average person. With so many avenues—and supposed “financial advisors”—to choose from, it’s nearly impossible to know what to do. Here is everything the aspiring investor needs to get started, including mutual fund fundamentals—their different types, fees, and taxes—as well as how to construct one’s portfolio and choose the best fund manager. —From a seasoned financial writer —Pocket-sized format for quick reference

Each book in the series cuts through the jargon and mystique of the financial markets to give the reader a clear picture of how and why these markets function as they do. Key features include: clear definitions of financial terms worked examples of transactions and contracts summaries and overviews valuation techniques quick Quiz questions to reinforce the learning experience strip cartoons to explain complex trades entertaining cartoons from Alex to lighten the load war stories and anecdotes from Mark Mobius based on his remarkable experiences other Resources section to guide the reader to other useful books, websites and reference material