Praise for Morningstar Guide to Mutual Funds "Picking actively managed mutual funds is no mean challenge. And as the recent era underscores, past performance is of little help. The Morningstar Guide to Mutual Funds helps cut through the fog with a solid volume of constructive advice. The central message-'truly diversify, keep it simple, focus on costs, and stick with it'-is not only timeless, it is priceless." -John C. Bogle, founder and former CEO, The Vanguard Group "There's nothing Morningstar doesn't know about mutual funds. And at last, for ready reference, there's a book. You'll find everything here you need to know about managing fund investments, inside or outside a 401(k)." -Jane Bryant Quinn, Newsweek columnist and author of Making the Most of Your Money "All serious mutual fund investors know that Morningstar is the source of impeccable data and sound investment advice. This book is the culmination of nearly two decades of research, analysis, and good old commonsense wisdom." -Tyler Mathisen, financial journalist, CNBC "Momentum investing, the hype in NASDAQ, the dot-com mania are mostly behind us. Now, we must navigate through the market debris. We need a compass as we look to allocate our financial resources in a way best suited to maintain purchasing power and fully fund retirement. The Morningstar Guide will help investors find true north and steer a course to reach their long-term financial goals." -Mario J. Gabelli, Chief Investment Officer Gabelli Asset Management, a publicly traded company "A generation of investors who took the stock market for granted now know how important it is to understand-and control-their own investments. The Morningstar Guide should be their most important resource." -Terry Savage, Chicago Sun-Times financial columnist and author of The Savage Truth on Money

CHRISTINE BENZ is Editor of Morningstar® FundInvestorTM, a monthly newsletter for investors, and Morningstar® Funds 500TM, an annual publication covering 500 top mutual funds.

PETER DI TERESA is a retirement plan consultant with Morningstar. He has written for the print publications Morningstar® Mutual FundsTM and Morningstar® FundInvestorTM, as well as the "Ask the Professor" column for Morningstars Web site, Morningstar.com.

RUSSEL KINNEL is Director of Mutual Fund Analysis for Morningstar, Inc. He writes the widely read "FundSpy" column for Morningstar.com, and manages Morningstars team of mutual fund analysts.

MORNINGSTAR, INC. is a Chicago-based global investment research firm. Morningstar is known for its objective research and analysis on stocks, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, closed-end funds, and more. Morningstar is an independent company and is the trusted source for individuals, financial advisors, institutions, and the news media.

PART ONE: HOW TO PICK MUTUAL FUNDS.

Chapter 1. Know What Your Fund Owns.

Chapter 2. Put Performance in Perspective.

Chapter 3. Understand the Risks.

Chapter 4. Get to Know Your Fund Manager.

Chapter 5. Keep a Lid on Costs.

PART TWO: HOW TO BUILD A PORTFOLIO.

Chapter 6. Match Your Portfolio to Your Goals.

Chapter 7. Put Your Portfolio Plan in Action.

PART THREE: FIDING IDEAS FOR YOUR PORTFOLIO.

Chapter 8. Find the Right Core Stock Fund for You.

Chapter 9. Move Beyond the Core.

Chapter 10. Find the right Bond Fund for You.

Chapter 11. Finding the Right Fund Companies for You.

PART FOUR: MONITORING YOUR PORTFOLIO.

Chapter 12. Schedule Regular Checkups.

Chapter 13. Know When to Sell.

Chapter 14. Keep a Cool Head in Turbulent Markets.

PART FIVE: BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER: MORNINGSTAR PORTFOLIOS.

Chapter 15. Look Inside Morningstar's Portfolios.

PART SIX: MORE ON MUTUAL FUNDS: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.

1. How Does the Morningstar Rating for Mutual Funds Work?

2. What Should I do When My Fund Loses a Star?

3. How does Morningstar's Style Box Work?

4. How Do I Buy My First Fund?

5. What Should I do When My Fund Manager Leaves?

6. Should I Buy a Rookie Fund?

7. Should I Buy a Fund That's Closing?

8. Should I Buy a Fund That's Doing Really Well?

9. Should I Buy a Fund That's in the Dumps?

10. How Can I Pay Less in Taxes?

11. How Can I determine Whether a Fund Is Best for a Taxable Account or a Tax-Sheltered Account?

12. How Can I Find the Best Fund Supermarket?

13. How Can I find a Financial Planner?

14. How do I read a Fund's Prospectus?

15. What Do I Need to Know About the Statement of Additional Information?

16. How do I read a Fund's Shareholder Report?

Recommended Reading.

Other Morningstar Resources.

Index.