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Interview With JPMorgan Funds' David Kelly

DAVID KELLY, CHIEF MARKET STRATEGIST FOR JPMORGAN FUNDS, is fairly upbeat about the likelihood of an economic recovery. He thinks a bottom has been reached, and a strong rebound will ensue. Yet Kelly, 46 years old, readily admits forecasting can be a miserable venture. Yes, we are in a severe recession, but diversification remains the best defense in the long term. Market-timing isn't worthwhile -- as many individual investors learned when they pulled out of equities during the recent market

The Big Letdown: Short ETFs

There's an undeniable appeal to investments that promise to make money when the market drops. Perhaps that's why so-called short ETFs have attracted $9 billion. When the market goes down, these exchange-traded funds are supposed to rise. But in the recent crash, some investors who used the ETFs to bet against the market were shocked to find they lost money anyway -- and took a nasty tax hit, too ... Short ETFs -- also called bear or inverse -- use complicated futures and derivatives to provide

Is Your Mutual Fund Charging Too Much? (On the Street)

Think your fund fees are too high? The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case that will determine whether investors can blame a fund’s advisors for the overcharges, or if it’s their own fault for paying them ... Last week the court announced it would hear Jones v. Harris Associates, a case that pits three investors in Oakmark mutual funds against Harris, the funds' advisor. The plaintiffs allege Harris was charging retail investors higher costs than others in the funds like pension plans,

Are You Paying More for Lower Returns? (Ticked Off)

You’d think that mutual fund companies, struggling with investors yanking their money out after months of abysmal returns, would maybe cut them a break. But no, the current strategy is more akin to pouring salt on an open wound. Investors aghast over their funds’ poor performance may be in for another shocker on their next statement: higher fees. Thousands of fund companies increased fees last year in an attempt to cover the costs of running their funds, and analysts expect more to follow in