Mutual Funds Workbook Series

Three Easy Steps to Fearless Investing
Our Investment Workbook series is designed to teach investors – from newcomers to those who are seasoned – the fundamentals of mutual fund investing. Written by Morningstar PracticalFinance editor and financial planning specialist, Christine Benz, each workbook includes lessons, checklists, quizzes, and worksheets.

Workbook 1, Find the Right Mutual Fund, covers the basics of fund investing and teaches you how to choose your first fund. Workbook 2, Diversify Your Fund Portfolio, illustrates how to assemble a portfolio of mutual funds to meet your needs. And Workbook 3, Maximize Your Fund Returns, shows established investors how to add incremental return to their portfolios, smooth out their risk, evaluate their holdings, and more.

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Contents About the Author

Workbook 1: Find the Right Mutual Fund

Lesson 101: What Is a Mutual Fund

Lesson 102: Mutual Funds and NAVs

Lesson 103: Understanding Total Return

Lesson 104: Fund Costs

Lesson 105: Mutual Funds and Taxes

Lesson 106: Important Fund Documents

Lesson 107: How to Purchase a Fund

Lesson 108: Methods for Investing in Mutual Funds

Lesson 109: Five Questions to Ask Before Buying a Mutual Fund

Lesson 110: Why Knowing Your Fund Manager Matters

Lesson 111: Your First Fund

Lesson 112: What to Look For

Workbook 2: Diversify Your Fund Portfolio

Lesson 201: Benchmarks

Lesson 202: Looking at Historical Risk, Part One

Lesson 203: Looking at Historical Risk, Part Two

Lesson 204: Gauging Risk and Return Together, Part One

Lesson 205: Gauging Risk and Return Together, Part One

Lesson 206: Examining a Stock Fund's Portfolio, Part One

Lesson 207: Examining a Stock Fund's Portfolio, Part Two

Lesson 208: Why Diversify

Lesson 209: Building Your Mutual Fund Portfolio

Lesson 210: Choosing an Index Fund

Lesson 211: SRI Funds

Lesson 212: Choosing an International Fund, Part One

Lesson 213: Choosing an International Fund, Part Two

Lesson 214: Bond Funds, Part One

Lesson 215: Bond Funds, Part Two

Lesson 216: Munis

Workbook 3: Maximize Your Fund Returns

Lesson 301: Shades of Value

Lesson 302: Shades of Growth

Lesson 303: Using Focused Funds

Lesson 304: Style-Box-Specific vs. Flexible Funds

Lesson 305: Sector-Fund Investing

Lesson 306: Using Quirky Bond Funds

Lesson 307: Bear-Proofing Your Portfolio

Lesson 308: The Plight of the Fickle Investor

Lesson 309: Chasing Closed Funds

Lesson 310: Buying the Unloved

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Contents About the Author

Christine Benz, Author, Morningstar Mutual Funds Workbook Series

Upcoming Appearances:
Nov 5-6, 2009
Morningstar 2009 Stocks Forum
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Christine Benz is director of personal finance for Morningstar, Inc. and editor of Morningstar PracticalFinance, a monthly print newsletter for individual investors. She also writes a weekly column on Morningstar.com and is co-author of Morningstar Guide to Mutual Funds: 5-Star Strategies for Success, a national bestseller published in 2003, and author of the book's second edition, which was published in 2005. Before assuming her current role in 2008, Benz served as Morningstar's director of mutual fund analysis. She has also served as editor of Morningstar Mutual Funds, the firm's flagship newsletter.

Benz holds a bachelor's degree in political science and Russian/East European studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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