What is the
minimum investment amount?
The minimum investment to open an account with
the Vice Fund is $4,000.
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Is there a sales
load or commission to pay?
No. All of MUTUALS.com funds are no-load funds, which
means that you will never pay any commissions or sales
loads.
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Can I automatically
invest from my checking or savings account?
Yes. If you wish to purchase shares on a monthly basis
you can set up an automatic investment plan (AIP)
that transfers funds from your checking or savings
account directly into your mutual fund account. The
minimum transfer amount for an AIP is $100 per month.
To sign up for this feature simply fill out section 5
on the Regular
Application or section 6
on the IRA
Application. To add this feature to
an existing account, simply call customer service at
866-264-8783 and request to setup your account with an
automatic investment plan. (Automatic Investment Plans do not
assure a profit and do not protect against a loss in a declining market.)
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If I invest
automatically every month can I cancel at any time?
Yes. Participation in an automatic investment plan is
optional and can be cancelled at any time without charge. (Automatic Investment Plans do not
assure a profit and do not protect against a loss in a declining market.)
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How do I set
up an Individual Retirement Account (IRA)?
Setting up an IRA is easy and simple. Simply download
an IRA
Application and print it out. Fill it out completely
and send it along with a check to the address on top of the
application.
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I have a 401(k) plan
that is still held through my previous employer. Can I roll
it into an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) with MUTUALS.com?
Yes. Simply contact your 401(k) plan administrator by calling
the customer service number on your 401(k) statement,
and inform them that you would like to rollover your
account to an IRA. They should advise you of their requirements
including necessary paperwork to be completed and returned to them.
To set up your MUTUALS.com IRA, simply fill out an
IRA
Application and IRA
Transfer Form (if needed) and mail both of them in to the address at the
top of the application. In most cases, the check from your 401(k) will be sent to you
and you should immediately forward it to MUTUALS.com. In some cases though, the plan
administrator will be able to forward the check directly to MUTUALS.com.
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I currently
have an IRA with another firm. Can I transfer it into
a new IRA to purchase funds from MUTUALS.com?
Yes. Simply complete the IRA
Application and IRA
Transfer Form and mail both along with
a recent account statement to the address on the
application. The transfer process usually takes a minimum of 2 weeks
and you will receive a confirmation notice upon
account activation.
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If I open a
joint account with someone other than my spouse, who
bears the tax liability?
If two or more people open a joint account,
a primary account holder with one
social security number must be designated. This person would incur
all the tax liability related to that account.
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What is the
difference between a mutual fund and a stock?
A stock represents partial ownership of one company.
If you own only one individual stock, then you have all your
money invested in a single company. A mutual fund, however, offers
partial ownership in multiple stocks or securities according to a
stated investment objective. Mutual funds not only offer the advantage
of asset diversification, but also include the benefit of
professional management.
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What is an
Individual Retirement Account (IRA) and how do I set
one up?
An IRA is simply a type of account that allows investors with earned
income to contribute $4,000 in 2005 ($4,500 for investors age 50 or
over) and receive tax-deferred growth until retirement. Contributions
may be invested in many types of securities including mutual funds and
may be tax deductible depending upon the type of IRA. An IRA may be
set up with MUTUALS.com by simply completing the
IRA
Application and sending it along with your check to the
address on the top of the application.
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What is a 401(k)?
A 401(k) plan is simply an employer-sponsored retirement plan that many
companies extend to their employees, some with employer matching funds.
It allows a certain percentage of an employee�s pretax income to be invested
and grow tax deferred until withdrawal during your retirement years.
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What does Rollover
mean?
Rollover is simply the process of transferring the
assets of one retirement plan to another without suffering a penalty or
tax consequences. For example, you can roll a 401(k) plan from a previous
employer into a self-directed Rollover IRA.
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Why are
your funds only available at select locations?
Broker-dealer selling agreements are arranged firm-by-firm and although we
are willing to complete agreements with almost any reputable firm, some
brokerage companies for different reasons, do not sell our funds. Some
firms have excessive fees that we are not willing to pay and many full
service/commission firms simply will not add new no-load, no-commission
funds to their platforms.
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Can I have
an IRA at more than one firm?
Yes. You can have as many IRA accounts as you desire, although you can only
contribute $4,000 ($4,500 for age 50 and over) among all of them for 2005.
In order to help simplify your accounts, and to keep IRA custodial fees to
a minimum, we recommend consolidating.
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What is the
degree of risk associated with the funds?
Each of our funds have different levels of risk to accommodate different
types of investors. (Remember risk and return are directly related: more
risk = higher potential return, less-risk = lower potential return) You
should choose a fund based on your financial objectives and your risk
tolerance.
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What about
taxes? How do they work in regard to a mutual fund?
If you own a mutual fund that is NOT protected by
an IRA or other tax-deferred shelter, then dividends
and capital gains will be taxable to you. Dividends
and capital gains whether paid out in cash or reinvested
in additional mutual fund shares are still taxable to the
investor for income tax purposes. Every year you will
be provided with a tax information statement detailing
the amount of dividends and capital gains that are
taxable for the current tax year.
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Do newspapers list all
mutual fund share prices - known as net asset value (NAV)?
Many newspapers list a large variety of mutual funds, however
not all newspapers list all funds. Typically, larger newspapers will list
most funds, while smaller papers usually have a limited selection.
Most newspapers will add mutual fund listings upon request.
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What's the
difference between buying direct vs. buying through
an authorized broker dealer?
Buying direct simply means that you are buying a specific fund directly
through the fund advisor or company. Buying through a broker dealer allows
you to purchase any mutual fund that the broker-dealer has available on their
agreement list. Please keep in mind that your broker-dealer may charge
additional fees for their services.
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