BOSTON (AP) — The recipe for successful investing sounds pretty simple: have reasonably good timing over the long haul and avoid big mistakes. That's what helps professionals build a worthy track record. For average investors, it's advisable to set the bar lower. Construct a balanced portfolio of low-cost mutual funds, make regular contributions to invested savings, and stick with it until it's time to retire.
The problem is that many investors seem to think they're better than that and can beat the stock market. Yet research consistently shows that it's a fool's game.
The latest findings are from Morningstar Inc., which compared the performance numbers that mutual funds posted with the returns that the investors in those funds actually obtained over multiple years. It's typical to see gaps between the figures. That's because investors move cash in and out as markets rise and fall, and consequently don't experience the same results as the funds they invest in.
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