When investing in mutual funds, you need to keep a close eye on the mutual fund growth to ensure that you are getting the returns that you expect. If you are getting a surplus above that which you were promised, then this is evidence that you have selected the right funds. If not, then you might need to rethink your investments, which is why tracking your mutual fund growth is so important.

Here are a few ways in which you can do this in an easy and hassle-free manner. You would need to put some amount of research into selecting the best from among the different types of instruments available. But once you have done that it is safe to say that these instruments will provide you with all the feedback that you need.

• The Company Website

Most funds have company websites that give in-depth analysis of the progression of the fund. They also compare among different plans within the same company as well as across different companies. This is a very good mutual fund growth instrument as it helps you focus more on the details of your fund, and get less distracted by other opportunities. However, most of these sites tend to focus on the positive growth of the fund and avoid publishing any criticism. This is expressly why you might need to look at a site that provides you analysis across different funds without having any vested interests itself. This in the end will allow you to compare and make changes in your portfolio if required.

• Online Mutual Fund Research Websites

These websites serve as mutual fund critics and most of them provide honest and simplistic feedback that any layperson can understand. They are also sometimes called tracking websites and allow you to access a lot of useful historical data about the fund you are investing in. Once you set up a free account on some of these sites, you can enter information about your portfolio and the site will email you regular mutual fund growth reports.

• Financial Magazines

Most financial magazines serve as very effective critics of mutual funds. With the expertise, skill and years of experience that the editorial team boasts, it would be foolish not to look at these for information about your fund growth. And, not only will these magazines provide you with analysis, but they might also be able to give you some foresight as to the expected trajectory of the fund.

• Year-End Reports

Most funds publish year-end reports that are useful to help give you a comprehensive look at the growth the fund has experienced. While most of these tend to be cheerfully optimistic, you can still get useful insight by reading between the lines.

Thus by combining the best of all these different instruments, you will be able to develop for yourself a foolproof mutual fund growth indicator.