No Load Mutual Funds

[kerryk]

I am interested in finding some mutual funds that have no connections with the USA. My ex wife has a habit of dating sleazy attorneys who think its fun to try and increase or change the terms of our divorce settlement. Since I am locked into some joint ventures with her in property and business I have to go to court and deal with these issues. They never amount to anything but it takes time and energy to mess with her. Since I am moving to Thailand I want to move my assets into mutual funds. I am used to dealing with Fidelity and Vanguard as they offered me the range of investments that I wanted. Are there any such mutual fund families that are not based in the USA but have the same kind of diversity and convenience i.e. checking etc?

Is AJF funds a good idea? Stable and such? I was reading another post about bank charges and got turned off about Ayudhya.

[salz]

I am interested in finding some mutual funds that have no connections with the USA.  My ex wife has a habit of dating sleazy attorneys who think its fun to try and increase or change the terms of our divorce settlement.  Since I am locked into some joint ventures with her in property and business I have to go to court and deal with these issues.  They never amount to anything but it takes time and energy to mess with her.  Since I am moving to Thailand I want to move my assets into mutual funds.  I am used to dealing with Fidelity and Vanguard as they offered me the range of investments that I wanted.  Are there any such mutual fund families that are not based in the USA but have the same kind of diversity and convenience i.e. checking etc?

Is AJF funds a good idea?  Stable and such? I was reading another post about bank charges and got turned off about Ayudhya.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

why not take a look at hong kong or singapore??

Fundsupermart

DollarDex - Deutsche Bank Subsidiary

FinatiQ - Funds investment sites by OCBC(Singapore), always with great funds and low charges

[Khun Bob]

avoid funds - they're a rip off

how about a bit of banking secrecy combined with the ability to invest in a massive range of securities - including etf's (exchange traded funds) - these are easily tradeable baskets of shares with no charges and directly reflect the prices of the underlying assets.

My recommendation is an online broker in switzerland with minimal or zero charges and they just happen to be a bank as well - pm me for details

Edited July 10, 2005 by Khun Bob

[Nam Kao]

Why not trade the market long and short, its pretty easy, funds are a rip

[bakachan]

how can she take you to court if you're in another country

and cannot appear to represent yourself or even be served papers?

i agree with the other gents here. mutual funds are ripoffs.

have you seen the dividend yields on energy trusts in the usa?

http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=PVX&d=t

im not sure if europe or asian markets have similar issues traded

but its worth a look because like real estate they're not making any

more oil and gas.

Edited July 11, 2005 by bakachan

[OldAsiaHand]

Why not trade the market long and short, its pretty easy, funds are a rip

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This pretty clearly illustrates the intellectual depth of the answers the original poster has thus far attracted here to his quite sensible question. While I agree that it is possible to make a case that equity funds are frequently an ineffective choice for many investors, 'funds are a rip' is hardly that case.

In any event, Kerryk, if you are a US citizen, the problem you will have is that 'funds that have no connection to the US' will almost certainly not let you invest in them, at least not directly. Since the lack of that connection means that they are not SEC registered, selling to US citizens and residents raises serious problems for them. The only way you can hold such an 'unconnected' fund is through and in the name of a third party -- i.e. a nominee, a bank, or a brokerage house -- and those alternatives are not available (or not practical) unless the amount of money involved is very significant, say well up into the mid-six figure range in USD.

[bakachan]

Why not trade the market long and short, its pretty easy, funds are a rip

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This pretty clearly illustrates the intellectual depth of the answers the original poster has thus far attracted here to his quite sensible question. While I agree that it is possible to make a case that equity funds are frequently an ineffective choice for many investors, 'funds are a rip' is hardly that case.

In any event, Kerryk, if you are a US citizen, the problem you will have is that 'funds that have no connection to the US' will almost certainly not let you invest in them, at least not directly. Since the lack of that connection means that they are not SEC registered, selling to US citizens and residents raises serious problems for them. The only way you can hold such an 'unconnected' fund is through and in the name of a third party -- i.e. a nominee, a bank, or a brokerage house -- and those alternatives are not available (or not practical) unless the amount of money involved is very significant, say well up into the mid-six figure range in USD.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ive seen the end of quarter "window dressing" and the stock flipping scandal

first hand. Go ahead and take your chances with mutual fund managers if you

want. Does anyone remember the mutual fund scandals a while back?

http://money.cnn.com/2003/09/18/funds/mone...ine_fundripoff/

I really doubt that investing in foreign stock markets would be in the six figures

Your should be able to buy as little or as much foreign stock as you want and

the brokerage, online or not, will have a foreign holding company thats

buys for you. There are a ton of offshore trading companies out there.

Many are in bermuda

http://www.directrade.bm/home.html

Edited July 11, 2005 by bakachan