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From: phl@drusd.UUCP (LavettePH)
Newsgroups: net.invest
Subject: re: mutual fund query
Message-ID: <1376@drusd.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 9-Jul-85 10:19:21 EDT
Article-I.D.: drusd.1376
Posted: Tue Jul  9 10:19:21 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 11-Jul-85 06:29:17 EDT
Organization: AT&T Information Systems Laboratories, Denver
Lines: 25

>     a) Are there advantages to my dealing through this broker, or am
>        I just as well (or better) off dealing directly with Franklin?
>
>     b) Does anybody have a better suggestion for a high growth fund,
>        or any positive or negative feedback on Franklin funds?
>
>Jay Hyman,   AT&T Bell Labs

Most (not all) mutual funds require that you purchase through a brokerage
firm.  There is no broker's fee, per se, for this type of purchase. At
least I've never paid one.

A good measure of a fund's history is the Lipper Report which is published 
quarterly in BARRON'S. This report covers virtually all funds available in 
the US. It is based solely on past performance and makes no recommendations. 
A lot of people got burned back in the early seventies when the mutuals fell 
with the rest of the market. I would suggest you use the Lipper Report only 
as a guide to help you weed out the really poor performers and take a good 
hard look at the portfolios of some of the better performers.

Remember that each company offers a whole menu of investment strategies. Just
because one or two funds in their offering are performing well doesn't mean
that they are all top grade offerings.

- Phil