In this edition of The Motley Fool's "Ask a Fool" series, Motley Fool analysts Jason Moser and Brendan Mathews take a question from a reader who asks, "What do you think about putting some of my retirement monies in Duff & Phelps Select Energy MLP Fund to be sure to maintain/keep some of my earnings in the stock market?"
Jason and Brendan both believe that funds can be good ways for investors to gain diversity in the market without taking too much risk. However, it also behooves the investor to make sure he or she understands just what the fund does, how it invests, and if there are any fees involved that may hamper returns. Jason and Brendan have a few concerns about the Duff & Phelps Select Energy MLP Fund. First and foremost, as it is a new fund that hasn't officially opened yet, there is no track record other than any additional funds that Duff & Phelps manages. Add in the fund's sales load of 4.5% on top of management fees and Jason and Brendan both see more attractive ways to get energy exposure by either owning shares in an actual MLP or even just investing in a general partner such as Kinder Morgan (KMI 0.27%).
