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Calculate your fund's total return. Evaluate your fund's total return rate. Evaluate your fund's net asset value. Adjust your fund investments.
The total return on a fund is the sum of the value of any dividends the fund paid out, the value of any capital gains the fund paid out, and any increase in NAV over the life of the purchaser's holding, divided by the purchase price of the fund. The total return is expressed as a percentage, to illustrate what percent of the purchase price holders have received in cash distributions and fund appreciation during the fund life. Mutual funds are required by law to distribute capital gains (positive cash flow from the purchase and sale of stock with mutual funds) to fund shareholders. This is different than a share of stock, where the holder receives capital gains as an increase to share price, not a direct pay out. For this reason, the NAV of a fund isn't enough on its own to evaluate long-term performance of a fund. You should analyze your total return rate to determine whether or not you are earning enough income off of your fund investment. Most funds are fairly diverse, and mutual funds should over-perform the stock market. While the stock market does fluctuate constantly, you should evaluate your fund's performance against the market's to ensure you are getting a reasonable return. From 1926 to the present, the annualized return for the S&P 500 has been about 10 percent.  The annualized return from Sept 2005 to Sept 2015 for S&P 500 has been about 7%.  Note that returns can vary depending upon holding period, and that returns of individual stocks can vary significantly.  You should compare your total return rate to the return rate on the stock market for the period you are assessing, while considering your overall acceptable return rate. The net asset value is a good indicator of whether or not your investment in the fund is retaining its value. If you purchased a share of a mutual fund for $50, receive investment income on the fund of $5 each year, and maintain a net asset value of $50 each year, you will essentially be earning 10% interest on your investment, which is a much higher rate than a savings account. By following the NAV of your fund shares, you can monitor whether or not your base investment is retaining its value, in addition to bringing in income. Most investment strategists caution against using the NAV to value your investment in the same way you might value an investment in stock using the daily stock price. Because mutual funds pay out all of their income and capital gains to shareholders, (besides the management fees charged to operate the fund), successful mutual funds don’t have to increase their NAV over time. They instead need to maintain NAV while providing interest payments to shareholders. After assessing the NAV and total return performance of your fund investment, you may consider whether or not to adjust your investments. While mutual funds are considered some of the most secure and diverse investments in stocks, some funds focus on specific market areas, like tech or healthcare. If you feel your specific fund isn't providing the returns you are seeking, and you think you can get those returns elsewhere, adjust your investments accordingly.