Mutual Funds for the New Investor – SLASX, HOLVX, TCEIX, AMAGX

Where should you make your first investment when just getting started investing?

If you don’t have a lot of money to invest and aren’t sure where to put it, don’t let that stop you from getting started! In the December edition of Smart Money magazine, Reshna Kapadia takes a quick look at four no-load mutual funds that have minimum initial investments, low fees, and have performed well in comparison to other similar funds:

1) Selected American Shares (SLASX)
Minimum investment -$1,000
Expense Ratio – 0.90%
5 Year Return – 9.34%

2) Homestead Value (HOVLX)
Minimum investment – $500
Expense Ratio – 0.76%
5 Year Return – 11.10%

3) TIAA-CREF Equity Index (TCEIX)
Minimum investment – $50 (If signed up for automatic investment of $50 month)
Expense Ratio – 0.26%
5 Year Return – 7.01%

4) Amana Growth (AMAGX)
Minimum investment – $250
Expense Ratio – 1.41%
5 Year Return – 11.38%

Thanks to Reshna Kapadia for doing the initial fund screen. I don’t have any experience with these funds but you can examine them in more detail with the links above, financial data shown is from Google Finance.

The new year is approaching, if you’ve been meaning to begin investing but haven’t gotten around to it yet, make a New Year’s resolution to research these funds and get started!

You can also check out my earlier discussion on Vanguard’s STAR fund for those just new to investing.

Ben Edwards, the founder of Money Smart Life, saved up enough to buy a Nintendo back when he was 12 years old. When he used the money to buy shares of Wal-Mart stock instead, he knew he wasn't like the other kids... His addiction to personal finance has paid off for his family and now he's helping you to afford the life that you want. Check him out on the web at Google Plus, Twitter and Facebook.

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