Week 4 - Financial Accounts & Intro to Investing Flashcards
(T/F) Actively trading common stocks is the best long-term investment strategy for most investors.
False
The potential advantages of index funds are
- Many, though not all, are well diversified.
- Many, though not all, have low fees
- Most, though not all, beat the market every year.
- Many, though not all, are well diversified.
- Many, though not all, have low fees
(T/F) It is surprisingly difficult to look up the fees for mutual funds?
False
When buying a mutual fund in a particular asset class, which of the following is most important?
a) Whether Jim Kramer likes the fund.
b) The fees the fund charges.
c) Whether or not the fund’s return the previous year was in the top 10% of similar funds.
b) The fees the fund charges.
(T/F) A mutual fund load is a commission you pay when you buy (or sometimes when you sell) a mutual fund.
True
(T/F) The fees charged by index funds vary with the types of assets the funds invest in.
True
(T/F) Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) sometimes charge high fees, but they are always well diversified.
False
(T/F) If the market drops 30%, it is certain to recover during the next year.
False
If you buy a company’s stock,
you own a part of the company.
If you buy a company’s bond,
you have lent money to the company.
If a company files for bankruptcy, which of the following securities is most at risk of becoming virtually worthless?
The company’s stock.
Holding a diversified portfolio of stocks rather than an undiversified portfolio:
- increases the likelihood that you will someday be as rich as Bill Gates is today.
- increases the likelihood that you will own at least one stock that performs poorly.
- protects you from broad economy-wide risk.
- increases the variance of the entire portfolio.
- increases the expected (average) return of the portfolio.
- increases the likelihood that you will own at least one stock that performs poorly.
(T/F) Investments with higher risk always have higher expected returns
False
What are the investment basics?
- invest in Mutual Funds or ETFs
- choose low-cost index funds
- pick a mix of stock and bond funds
How much should you invest in bonds?
110 - age in equities
Should you buy mutual funds with load fees, why or why not?
No you should not. Loads are commissions usually charged when you buy and fund and shared by the mutual fund company with the advisor who sold the fund to you.
What are the pro’s of index funds?
- inexpensive
- well-diversified
- liquid
- relatively tax efficient
- work well in well-regulated markets that have lots of active management
What are the con’s of index funds?
- overweight overvalued stocks
- concentrate voting rights at mutual fund companies
- have potential tax disadvantages
- may contribute to mispricing in poorly regulated markets with insufficient active management
What are some factors that increase stock prices?
- improving economy: more demand for products
- improving production tech
- lower interest rates: cheaper borrowing for companies, bonds become less desirable
- increasing inflation: equities hedge inflation better than bonds
- increasing inflation: equities hedge inflation better than bonds
How is the cyclically adjusted price-to-earnings ratio calculated?
By dividing a stock’s current price with its average inflation-adjusted earnings from the previous 10 years.
How can you ensure you always pay on-time?
Enable auto-pay for the statement balance, enable paper statements
Always pay your _______ Balance by the __________
Statement….due date
What are some ways to lower your utilization?
- ask for a larger credit line
- make payments before your statement closes
- get another card
- use your debit card
Aspects of short-term funds (now –> 3 years)
- cash
- high-yield savings
- no loss of principal