I am just starting to invest and am interested in mutual funds.?

I am looking at investing 400 to 500 dollars per month for about 20 to 25 years. I would like to find some funds that give a really good longterm profit. Would appreciate any help I can get.

You should really focus on some automatic investment plans using low cost mutual funds (possibly from Vanguard). The key to reducing risk and maximizing returns is to be allocated properly and re-balance your portfolio on a timely basis...my suggestion is every year after you open your account. A simple strategy is most effective and will beat any other fads. You should have long term wealth if you stick to your strategy and lay out your ground work in a fashion similar to this:

25% Large Cap Fund (using both Value and Growth stocks)
25% Small/Mid Cap Fund (using both Value and Growth stocks)
25% International Equities
15% Commodity Fund
10% Fixed Income Fund to reduce volatility

You should speak to someone at whatever fund family you speak to about low cost passive index funds. It may sound too simple, but this beats nearly every other strategy long term.

The past performances of mutual funds are easily accessible, but you should not assume that those funds which have been most profitable over the past 2 - 5 - 10 - etc. (you name it) years will produce the best future returns. That has usually not been the case. Look for a comprehensive, solid, reliable mutual fund family that offers a variety of funds, low fees and excellent customer service - e.g., Vanguard, a favorite of mine. The profits are not likely to disappoint you, but you must be patient as the market goes up and down and up and down and down and up...
[Many funds will require an initial deposit of $2000-$3000, but smaller amount will be acceptable once the account has been opened.]

Go with stocks. Mutual funds add a middleman. The mutual fund managers and employees all have to get paid, which cuts into your earnings. This makes them less attractive, so they pay advisers for as long as you own the fund, further cutting into your earnings.

Go direct with stocks. Do some research to find a good company, and buy stock in it, your portfolio will be better off.

Mutual funds do have a place in people's investment portfolios. However, as one of your responders suggested you are paying a middle man. Keep that in mind. If you are going to pay that middle man, pay one that is going to give you your money's worth. That would be one who has a better ability to invest in an area of investments that you do not have such an ability. Such areas are foreign markets, small cap stocks, micro cap stocks.

As another responder mentioned, past performance figures are readily available on the internet. But they do not guarantee future performance. So you have to continually monitor how your funds are doing and make periodic adjustments to where performance might be lacking.

One thing to keep in mind is that diversity will improve your long term overall return so you do not want to dump all your money into just one or two funds. You want to invest in a portfolio that is well diversified.

Now for some specific examples.

IIF a closed end fund that invests in India
CHN and TDF closed end funds that invest in China
SWZ a closed end fund that invests in Switzerland
Royce Funds a family of funds that invests in small cap stocks.

Finally, consider index funds. They will outperform 70% of all managed funds because of their very low expense ratios. There is an index fund for almost every conceivable market nitch. And if there is a nitch that does not have one, it will shortly.

Just buy stock with Charles Schwab. Mutual funds are boring

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I am sure that you can get your answers in this website.

Good Luck and Best Wishes!

I applaud you for deciding to get into investing. I would also say that time spent studying the market will be time well spent. I think the best way to get into investing is to see what the best traders are buying and selling. this is the idea behind the site http://www.top10traders.com - this is a free site that lets you create a portfolio of stocks with $100,000 in "play" money. Each day the site ranks the best performing portfolios, so you can see how your picks perform compared to other investors. You can also read posts on investing from the best traders, as well as share your own investing ideas.

Here are this month's best traders:

http://www.top10traders.com/Top10Standin...

Good luck!