Re: Alternatives to Mutual Funds

In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Tad Borek wrote:
> Brent D. Gardner, ChFC wrote:
>> Even Schwab, the bastion
>> of No Help, has been exposed. That's a serious black eye on a firm that has
>> bragged so long about their lilly white reputation.
> 
> There seems to be a sea change going on at Schwab. Did you see the 
> Investment News headline, "Schwab pumps up sales side, readies its 
> troops to combat wirehouses"? Plus fee changes and that stock rating 
> system...they're starting to look more like another wirehouse.
> 
> Speaking of the stock rating system, this contrarian couldn't help but 
> laugh at the results published recently. They grade every stock A to F, 
> and here were the results - to quote from the SF Chronicle 11/13/03:
> 
> "From May 6, 2002 through Oct. 20, 2003, Schwab's F-rated stocks
> have done the best, with an average return of 30.09 percent. The D-rated 
> stocks were second best, with a 25.4 percent increase. Stocks rated C 
> and B were next, with an identical 23.3 percent average increase. In 
> last place were the A stocks, which rose 22.4 percent."
> 
> Almost good enough to be a short-selling strategy.
> 
> -Tad
> 

The idea that you can trust an investment bank to tell you which
stocks to buy is hilarious. They have no incentive to do a good
job. If they could do a good job they would not publicize their findings.

i