If you're working on mutual fund research, you may not know where to begin. Investors can find information on mutual funds from thousands of web resources, and there are plenty of print resources to boot. So where do you research mutual funds, and what do you look for? Here are a few places to look and things to look for:

Where To Find Information

1.Morningstar: Morningstar.com is one of the web's leading mutual fund resources. This website specializes in up-to-date articles, stock market values, and ratings for mutual funds that can help you decide where and how to invest your money.
 
2.Fool: Fool.com is a good beginner's resource on all things investing. It's chock full of articles on mutual funds of all sorts, and it can lead you to other places that will help you in your mutual fund research.

3.Financial Magazines and Websites: Check out magazines like Forbes, major newspapers like The New York Times, and financial websites like CNNMoney.com. Mutual funds are a hot commodity right now, so resources like these will have information on mutual funds and other investment ideas.

What To Look For

The hardest part of conducting mutual fund research isn't in knowing where to find information; there's such a plethora of resources on the web and in print that finding information is easy. The hardest part is in knowing just what you're looking for when you're examining different mutual funds.

Here are a few specific things to look at:

1.Mutual Fund Prospectus: You should always look at a prospectus before you invest in a mutual fund. This document will tell you the fund's goals and strategies, and will give you an idea of the past and projected performances for the fund. A prospectus will tell you exactly how a company plans to work with your money, which you should know before you buy in to a mutual fund.

2.Mutual Fund Rating: Different companies, such as Lipper's and Morningstar, rate mutual funds depending on their performance over time, their stability, and their assets. Ratings like these aren't the only information you should look at when investigating mutual funds, but they can be a great place to start. The higher a mutual fund is ranked, the more likely it is to perform well and get you a good return on your investment over a long period of time.

While these aren't the only places to find information or the only pieces of information you should look for, start with easily-accessible resources like these, and you'll be well on your way to making sound investments. Once you get the basics and have narrowed potential investments to two or three, you can conduct further mutual fund research by calling specific investors and asking more detailed questions.