Long-Distance Funds

didn’t lose as much as the overall market. “My funds have come back since then,” he says, “so I’m pleased with the long-term results.”

The same spirit of perseverance is expressed by Victoria Lowe, 41, a teacher in New York whose foray into the stock market was launched when stocks were at lofty levels. “I became interested in investing when my daughter was a baby,” she says. “I was concerned about paying for her college education and I realized that a scholarship can’t be guaranteed. I know that you must have a college education and I was afraid of being priced out. That’s when I began investing in mutual funds every month, with regular transfers from my bank account.”

Victoria’s daughter, Janae, is now 6 years old, so Victoria started investing just before the bear market began. “At first,” she says, “it’s hard to [accept that] you’re losing money. But we know we’re in for the long run, so we’re leaving the money in there and we keep investing. In fact, I’ve started to do some investing in mutual funds for my own retirement through my retirement plan at work.

Investing for Janae has become a family project, with Victoria’s parents and sisters contributing to the college fund. “With mutual funds, many people can contribute a small amount each month,” says Victoria. “You don’t even

For bond funds as well as stock funds, it pays to bank on the basics: good management, low costs, and a history of both dodging the bears and running with the bulls.

B.E.’S TOP 100 MUTUAL FUND PERFORMERS