One of the hurdles we all face when trying to make investment decisions is simply finding the time to get it done intelligently. Tempting though it is, you can't just throw darts and expect to hit the bull's eye. If you want to find tomorrow's winners today, you'll need to spend a little quality research time -- unless, of course, someone has already done the research for you.
Let's ponder your future
At the Fool, we think you should be in control of your financial destiny. No one knows your timeline and tolerance for risk better, after all, and no one is more keenly aware of major near-term goals, like buying a house or funding a child's college education, or of how you want live during your dotage.
As general rules of thumb, the closer you are to your goals, the more you'll want to have in fixed-income (i.e., bond) investments, while your equity exposure centers on buttoned-down plays such as ExxonMobil
Priced to move
No investment comes with a guarantee, of course, but there's ample reason to suspect they'll continue doing so into the future. And right now, the prices seem right: Despite 10-year track records through the end of February that leave the S&P in the dust, each currently trades with a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio below that of the broader market and their average industry rival.
Marvell Technology
Speaking of 20%, these race cars currently trade at least that far below their respective 52-week highs, making now an intriguing time to add 'em to your "further research" list. That's also true of Broadcom
Do you have the time?
Which leads us back to where we started: Who, these days, has time for research, much less "further research"? That's a good question, with at least two good answers.
First, world-class fund managers do. These folks, like former fund manager Peter Lynch, have made gobs of money for shareholders by doing their research -- not to mention their buying and selling -- for them. When you invest in funds, you're still your own money manager. Your responsibilities simply involve hiring qualified stock pickers, not sifting through reams of financial statements to ferret out value opportunities from value traps.
The second answer to the "who has time" question? We do. Between the update of Champion Funds -- the Fool investment service that I head up -- that hits the streets tomorrow and the current issue of the newsletter, we've covered in capsule form every fund we've recommended since the service first opened for business in March 2004. All but one of those picks, by the way, has made money for shareholders since we gave 'em the nod. Taken together, they're spanking the market by a double-digit margin.
If you'd like to zero in on the world's best money managers -- and assemble a world-class portfolio with little muss or fuss -- consider snagging our to-the-point crib sheet ... for free. A 30-day guest pass to Champion Funds is available by clicking right here. There's no obligation to subscribe, and better yet, we've done the homework so you don't have to.
Shannon Zimmerman runs point on the Fool's Champion Funds newsletter service and co-advises Motley Fool Green Light with his pal Dayana Yochim. At the time of publication, he didn't own any of the securities mentioned above. Wal-Mart is a Motley Fool Inside Value recommendation. Check out the Fool's strict disclosure policy.
