10 Best Mutual Fund Books Of All Time: Hello readers! Anyone not living under a rock most definitely has overheard a lot about Mutual Funds. All thanks to the frequent advertisements which pop up in between our television programs “Mutual Funds Sahi hai” with a quick disclaimer for two seconds. The most interesting fact is that with the advent of technology, they have even started appearing on social media platforms as sponsored posts.
In this era where financial awareness is growing in leaps and bounds, almost everybody is jumping into the bandwagon of investing in mutual funds to grow their money over time. Gone are the days when people used to park their money in savings accounts and would avoid the avenue of investment in the stock market.
What are Mutual Funds?
A mutual fund is nothing but a type of financial instrument consisting of a pool of funds accumulated from various investors to infuse in securities like equities, money market, bonds, and other financial assets. Mutual Funds are run by qualified fund managers who distribute the fund’s assets and strive to harvest capital gains on investments by the investors. A mutual fund’s portfolio is designed and maintained to match up to the aims of the investment as stated in the prospectus.
However, it is quite important for any individual or a firm to have an in-depth judgment about the global financial markets and its structure before investing in Mutual Funds. Risk is a part and parcel of Mutual Funds because they are absolutely dependent on market conditions. Thus, everyone should be extra careful while staking their hard-earned money in it. Most of us are clumsy & lack sound knowledge when it comes to the assessment of risk before investing in the Mutual Funds. One needs to take a stern decision on the basis of their goals, time horizon & risk-bearing ability.
Well, does all these sound like a big deal? Undoubtedly, it is but don’t worry! We are here to enlighten you and fathom into the world of investments.
The first and foremost step in which you should partake in this regard is to concentrate on increasing your knowledge bank about the fundamentals of investing in Mutual Funds. As books are considered to be the best tool to enhance knowledge, we have compiled a list of 10 best mutual fund books in the forthcoming sections to help you in your investment journey. Stay glued!
10 Best Mutual Fund Books Of All Time
Table of Contents
1. Common Sense of Mutual Funds
Author: John C. Bogle
Common Sense On Mutual Funds is considered to be a trustworthy and an ideal book for both the beginners and seasoned investors who are keen on digging deeper about Mutual Funds. The author who wrote the book was the creator of the world’s first index fund. It has received the highest of laurels in the investment community and continues to be a bestseller.
Key Highlights of the book:
- This book determines the mechanism of mutual fund investments in the swirling market conditions and provides a timeless piece of advice in reference to knitting a greatly diversified investment portfolio.
- The book has extensive explanations about the elemental structure of investments that are applicable to different market cycles.
- The common sense of mutual funds book discusses the regulatory and structural alterations across the global mutual fund’s industry in a lucid manner.
- The author has put the Index Funds under the limelight and has also highlighted the significance of adopting a long term strategy.
- The writing style is simple with a effective display of common sense and transparency.
2. Mutual Fund For Dummies
Author: Eric Tyson
Mutual Fund For Dummies helps any novice investors to scout through the various implications of Mutual Fund investment. The book was released in the year 1998 and is seen as a timeless asset for planning and implementing a successful investment strategy.
Key Highlights of the book:
- This book guides through regarding the identification of the efficiently managed funds to match your financial goals.
- It discusses the latest investment techniques that heighten your chances of success and prevents you from drowning into vicious investment traps along with illustrations about Sample Fund Portfolios.
- Mutual fund for dummies book also provides informative cues to maintain and assemble an investment portfolio while analyzing a fund’s performance at the same time.
- It grooms the readers and push up their confidence to strategically invest in the Mutual Funds and consequently earn sustainable long-term profits.
- The book has elaborated chapters based on Exchange-Traded Securities and Tax Laws impacting the fund investments.
3. Bogle on Mutual Funds
Author: John C. Bogle
Bogle on Mutual Funds is another magnum opus that has redefined our outlook towards finance and investments. This masterpiece is brilliantly crafted to make an addition to the existing concepts about investing in Mutual Funds.
Key Highlights of the book:
- This book has chapters that are completely dedicated to Passively Managed Funds and how they can reap higher returns.
- It points out the difference between different spectrums like stocks, bonds, money market, and balanced funds. Drawbacks regarding placing weighted bets on individual securities, sectors and the economy are also highlighted.
- As you dig deeper, the book evaluates the correlation between risks and returns on investments across mutual funds.
- The book has portions covering how low cost has a more reliable investment structure and techniques for choosing among the four fundamental types of fund funds.
- It also highlights the possible reasons for below-average performances of different funds and the common mistakes committed by investors. The author provides well-structured guidance on the importance of perseverance and persistence in the course of the creation of wealth ie. Via Mutual Funds.
- In addition, Bogle on Mutual Funds book also includes parameters for pinpointing misleading advertisements and to look for the hidden truth.
4. The Mutual Funds Book
Author: Alan Northcott
The author of the book has punched in some unique concepts with a major concentration on investment advice and Mutual Fund theorems.
Key Highlights of the book:
- The book has a detailed explanation of the pros and cons of investing in Mutual Funds and how to generate profits through investments based on the “Minimal Risk And Maximized Returns” idea.
- In this book, you can read the comparison and evaluation of the risk associated with mutual funds investment against other types of financial investments along with avenues to compare various funds on an after-tax basis.
- Alan Northcott has also covered approaches to figure out the perfect time to sell any security and to liquidate the money invested in funds in his book.
- There are separate sections on easy strategies for allocating the assets across various classes of stocks such as small-cap, micro-cap, mid-cap, and large-cap companies.
- The book also explains disclosure of the important definitions like ratings, net asset value, share classes, plans and etc associated with the investing procedure along with the inclusion of a background of the economic history of mutual funds including their scandals.
5. Morningstar Guide to Mutual Funds
Author: Christine Benz
The Morningstar Guide to Mutual Funds by Christine Benz helps to emerge out of the dense mist with a well-defined volume of productive information. It’s a no-nonsense guidebook that should be found in every investor’s cupboard.
Key Highlights of the book:
- The book covers the importance of bond funds, index funds, and exchange-traded funds in a portfolio.
- You can find a clear explanation of crucial terms like expense ratios, fund charges and loads which are neglected in general.
- The author has covered the estimation of a fund’s risks and how to invest in active funds, and improve the odds of your success? Alongside this, the book also explains an analysis of the quality of a fund’s manager, and consecutive steps to be undertaken regarding any alteration.
- A few of the crucial sections on this book cover the pros and cons of concentrated and diversified funds, red alerts against chasing high returns in a sector and assessment of quarterly and annual reviews for keeping the portfolio on the right track.
- Christine Benz also explains the strategy of investing in underperforming sectors and riding on their waves during a revival.
- Finally, there’s also a section on the importance of rebalancing the portfolio periodically and creating an articulate temperament for standing strong during volatility.
6. The Mutual Fund Industry Handbook
Author: Lee Gremillion
The Mutual Fund Industry Handbook by Lee Gremillion has a noticeable and systematic series of data and knowledge. Such volumes of information will assist anyone with a keen interest in this industry. The book was originally published in 2005.
Key Highlights of the book:
- This book covers the interpretation of various functions executed in the day-to-day operations of the Mutual Fund industry including front-office functions, back-office functions, buying and selling process, settlement, custody, accounting, and reporting.
- A few of the clears pivotal concepts explained in the book are regulatory protection, liquidity, diversification & professional management.
- The author also describes the roles being played by transfer agents, distributors, custodial banks, investment advisors, fund managers, and several other external service providers.
Also read: 7 Best Value Investing Books That You Cannot Afford to Miss.
7. Mutual Funds for Wealth Building
Author: John Mcquilkin
The book is solely for beginners and amateurs who have newly become aware of the financial markets. Mutual funds for wealth building by John Mcquilkin presents an exhaustive analysis regarding investing in mutual funds right from scratch.
Key Highlights of the book:
- The book covers the definition and introduction of Mutual Fund, benefits and Limitations of Mutual Funds, different types of funds along with hidden costs of a Mutual Fund.
- The author also covers detailed investing strategies for Mutual Fund to discover how to create wealth with Mutual Funds to upgrade the standard of living and fulfill goals.
- The best part is an explanation in layman’s language with an utmost easy format.
8. Beating the Street
Author: Peter Lynch
First of all, let me give you an introduction to Peter Lynch, the author of this book if you already do not know him already.
Peter Lynch is an American Investor and a former fund manager. He was the manager of the Magellan fund at Fidelity Investments between 1977 and 1990. During this period, Lynch averaged a 29.2% annual return on the investments. This return was consistently double than the market index and during this period of 13 years, the asset under the management which was originally $18 million in 1977 increased to $14 billion. He is one of the rare fund managers who gave a fairly good return to their investors for thirteen long years in a row.
The exclusivity of the “BEATING THE STREET” is that it imparts teachings to develop a winning investment strategy and provides advice regarding the agglomeration of a rewarding investment portfolio.
Key Highlights of the book:
- In this book, Peter Lynch explains the “Invest In What You Know” strategy for both the big and small investors.
- He covers lucrative suggestions about architecting a profitable investment portfolio, based on your own experience, insights and do-it-yourself research. He also covers the operative methods of fund managers belonging to large fund houses.
- The author reasons why a bear cycle is a fantastic opportunity to haul up stocks at a rock bottom price left behind by panic-stricken investors and advantages of markets in faster-growing economies (EG: INDIA).
- Peter Lynch explains why over a long-time period, a portfolio of well-chosen equity mutual funds will always surpass the returns of a portfolio consisting of bonds and money market funds.
- Besides, Peter Lynch’s “20 Golden Rules” are a part of this book as well.
9. Ladder to Wealth Creation
Author: Vivek K Negi
Financial freedom is the penultimate agenda for everyone during a lifetime. The aim cannot be achieved only by saving one’s money. The idle funds lying in the bank account must be put to use for compounding wealth. It’s a procedure of strategic planning and investment from a tender age. Hence, this book comes to our rescue and explains all the minute catches and tricks.
Key Highlights of the book:
- The book explains what are Systematic Investments Plans (SIPs) and how initiating SIPs from a young age generates huge corpus in the long run via the method of compound interest.
- The author covers the advantages of investing in meager amounts at regular intervals over a long period of time in different asset classes.
Also read: 3 Amazing Books to Read for a Successful Investing Mindset.
10. How to make a fortune through Mutual Funds: Hunt with the hounds
Author: Ashu Dutt
If you are keenly looking forward to investing in mutual funds and your foremost objective is to yield high returns, this book is a must-have for you! How to make a fortune through mutual funds by Ashu Dutt breaks some acclaimed myths surrounding the concept of Mutual Funds and has been written by one of Asia’s leading investment managers.
Key Highlights of the book:
- The language of the book is clean and can be effortlessly grasped by the beginners.
- The book covers the achievement of extraordinary returns from Mutual Funds by investing in the actively managed funds.
- Author Ashu Dutt does explain how mutual Funds singles out the elements of emotions in due course of the investment and advocates the strategy of investing at points of maximum pessimism and exiting during euphoria.
- The book has separate sections on Open-Ended versus Close Ended Funds, Investing in Cycles, Trends, and Rallies etc.
- In the book, you can find a detailed analysis of different funds like Active Equity Funds, Index Funds, ETFs, Income Funds, Gilt Funds, Commodity Funds, and Real Estate Funds.
- The author has also included the topic of how to pick the correct funds during various market cycles along with how to time your entries and exits in Mutual Funds. Overall, he has shared his hushed secrets of profitability.
Summary
It is quite important for any individual or a firm to have an in-depth judgment about the global financial markets and its structure before investing in Mutual Funds. The first and foremost step in which you should partake in this regard is to concentrate on increasing your knowledge bank about the fundamentals of investing in Mutual Funds.
As Books are considered to be the best tools to enhance knowledge, in this article, we covered the 10 Best Mutual Fund books of all time. In case we missed any best mutual fund books that you believe should be covered in this list, feel free to comment below. Also mention which one is your favorite mutual fund book. Cheers!