Christine Benz 
Morningstar Guide to Mutual Funds 
Five-Star Strategies for Success

GUIDE TO MUTUAL FUNDS

SECOND EDITION

‘Picking actively managed mutual funds is no mean challenge. And as
the recent era underscores, past performance is of little help. The
Morningstar Guide to Mutual Funds helps cut through the fog with a
solid volume of constructive information. The central
message–‘truly diversify, keep it simple, focus on costs, and
stick with it’–is not only timeless, it is priceless.’

–John C. Bogle, founder and former CEO, The Vanguard Group

‘Successful investors know they must do their own due diligence.
Morningstar has done much of that homework in this guide. Leave it
to Morningstar to get it right, offering smart ways to pick, build
and monitor a portfolio. It’s a commonsense guide that should grace
every investor’s shelf.’

–Ted David, CNBC Anchor

‘There’s nothing Morningstar doesn’t know about mutual funds. And
at last, for ready reference, there’s a book. You’ll find
everything here you need to know about managing fund investments,
inside or outside a 401(k).’

–Jane Bryant Quinn, Newsweek columnist and author of Making the
Most of Your Money

Table of Content

Foreword.

Acknowledgements.

Introduction.

Part One: How to Pick Mutual Funds.

Chapter 1. Know What Your Fund Owns.

Chapter 2. Put Performance in perspective.

Chapter 3. Understand the Risks.

Chapter 4. Get to Know Your Fund Manager.

Chapter 5. Keep a Lid on Costs.

Part Two: How to Find Ideas For Y our Portfolio.

Chapter 6. Find the Right Core Stock Funds for You.

Chapter 7. Move Beyond the Core: Using Specialized Stock
Funds.

Chapter 8. Find the Right Core Bond Fund for You.

Chapter 9. Move Beyond the Core: Using Specialized Bond
Funds.

Part Three: How to Build a Portfolio.

Chapter 10. Match Your Portfolio to Your Goals.

Chapter 11. Put Your Portfolio Plan into Action.

Chapter 12. Simplify Your Investment Life.

Chapter 13. Be Savvy When Seeking Advice.

Part Four: How to Monitor Your Portfolio.

Chapter 14. Schedule Regular Checkups.

Chapter 15. Know When to Sell.

Chapter 16. Keep a Cool Head in Turbulent Markets.

Part Five: More on Mutual Funds: Frequently Asked
Questions.

Recommended Reading.

Other Morningstar Resources.

Index.

About the author

Christine Benz is Director of Mutual Fund Analysis at
Morningstar, where she manages a staff of thirty-five mutual fund
analysts. Previously, she was the editor of Morningstar®
Fund Investor, a monthly newsletter, as well as Morningstar®
Funds 500, an annual publication covering 500 top mutual funds.

Morningstar, Inc., is a leading provider of investment research
in the United States and in major international markets. The
company offers an extensive line of Internet, software, and
print-based products and services for individuals, financial
advisors, and institutional clients. Morningstar provides data on
more than 125, 000 investment offerings, including stocks, mutual
funds, ETFs, closed-end funds, and much more. The company has
operations in sixteen countries.