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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
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The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
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February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
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Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
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January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
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Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
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Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
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Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
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Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
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January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
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January 11, 2012
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Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
Nov. 11, 2008
/ 13 Mar-Cheshvan 5769
Mutual funds can get caught in downward spiral
By
Gail Marks Jarvis
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | (MCT)
Traumatized investors are fleeing mutual funds in huge numbers - grabbing what remains of their money and putting it anywhere that doesn't leave a knot in their stomach.
Although the most dramatic lurch for the exits might be over, history suggests that people could be yanking money from mutual funds for years. If true, the trend could hurt people who remain invested in mutual funds, as well as some who took the money and ran.
After the 48 percent decline in the stock market in 1973 and 1974, people pulled money out of mutual funds until 1980, even though the market moved higher.
"They used the strength in the market to get out," said Eric Bjorgen, who tracked the trend for the Leuthold Group, a Minneapolis-based research firm. "Many never came back into the market then or after the 2000 bear market."
"Once bitten, twice shy," Bjorgen said.
With the market plunging in October, many individuals fled after losing nearly half of the money they'd had about a year earlier. This year, investors have pulled roughly $200 billion out of U.S. and international stock mutual funds - a huge reversal from the $254 billion they poured into funds the previous two years, said David Santschi, TrimTabs managing editor.
Although selling shares in losing funds can be smart for those who plan to declare a loss on their taxes, many people have shifted money into saving accounts and money market funds. The low-interest investments aren't likely to allow them to regain what they have lost for decades. And some have committed expensive mistakes, such as pulling money completely from 401(k) plans without realizing they owe taxes and penalties that could strip almost half of their savings.
While those remaining in mutual funds probably will receive the advantage, eventually, of a surge in the stock market, some are in funds that will face an uphill battle. That's because the stock-pickers managing their funds are limited now in the bargain hunting they can do for cheap shares.
It's a result of so many investors fleeing funds. When a person wants to leave a fund, it must have cash available to give the investor.
But most mutual funds tend to hold little cash. So as investors demand their money, mutual fund managers are being forced to raise cash by selling stocks they wouldn't otherwise sell, said Morningstar Inc. analyst Karen Dolan.
"A fund facing redemptions is restricted in its flexibility to do much," she said.
Selling shares that have potential to climb eliminates some opportunity for funds to make money when the stocks regain strength. In addition, respected investors such as Warren Buffett contend bargains are plentiful now, but fund managers who are busy raising cash might not have money available to bargain-hunt. That will dampen the returns a fund can make in the future.
Great sums of money can be made by picking solid stocks beaten down in bear markets. On average, during the first year following the low point in a bear market, the stock market climbs 44 percent, according to the Leuthold Group. By the second year, on average they are up 60 percent from their lows.
At the end of October, the Standard & Poor's 500 index had fallen about 46 percent from its peak.
Tremendous redemptions can be life-threatening for some mutual funds.
"At its worst case, depending on the liquidity of holdings in the portfolio, redemptions can trigger a vicious cycle that can really drive down a fund's value," Dolan said.
The cycle plays out like this: Investors become nervous about bad returns and decide to leave; then the fund must sell more of its stocks or bonds at low prices to raise cash. As the fund managers do this, they accept low prices for the securities and incur costs for trading stocks and bonds. Consequently, individuals with money in mutual funds see their returns lag other investments such as index funds, which don't actively pick stocks, or the stock market in general, and more people decide to leave the fund.
Although the cycle could stifle returns in any fund, typically there would not be a serious downward cycle in big mutual funds that invest in large-company stocks. Such stocks can be sold fairly easily, even in a rough stock market. But this year the worst-case scenario has been obvious in bond funds such as Schwab YieldPlus and Fidelity Ultra Short Bond - two funds that sank after investing in bonds that could not be easily sold as they faced huge redemptions.
This year, some of the nation's most respected stock fund managers have faced large redemptions as early bargain hunting failed to produce sizable returns. Funds with extraordinary long-term records such as Dodge and Cox, Longleaf Partners and Third Avenue Value have had to deal with disappointed investors.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
Gail Marks Jarvis is a personal finance columnist for the Chicago Tribune and author of "Saving for Retirement without Living Like a Pauper or Winning the Lottery." Comment by clicking here.
Previously:
10/27/08: Investors can bounce back from even the worst of times
10/20/08: Want to sell? Look at 401(k), but don't leap
10/16/08: Want to be like Buffett? There are ways
09/29/08: Money protection only goes so far, so know the risks
08/26/08: Retail stocks may not be best fit for investors
08/20/08: Rear-view mirror investing can be dangerous to a portfolio
07/01/08: What do we do? My daughter didn't get a scholarship
02/25/08: Before abandoning your mutual fund
02/14/08: Dirty little secret of some funds may be haunting
01/29/08: Sorting out the stock market
01/03/08: One word for 2008 crystal-ball gazers: Caution
12/11/07: Buy and hold isn't necessarily tried and true
11/26/07: Translating the falling dollar's implications for investors
11/13/07: Gradual retirement may not be key to happiness
11/05/07: Rate cut won't offer immunity to investors
10/29/07: Employers set to help workers save in 401(k) accounts
10/22/07: Playing bounce may be costly to stock investors
10/10/07: Investors find boring often can be fruitful
10/01/07: Make up lost time with swift, smart action
09/24/07: Balance is key for investing by retirees
09/18/07: Homeowners who wait see options fade
09/04/07: Easy matter to rate fund's performance
08/27/07: Mortgage mess could be good for savers
08/17/07: Small stocks are coming with large caveats
© 2007, Chicago Tribune Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services
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