Top 10 Precious Metals and Minerals ETF Funds

In my previous article, I have provided the precious metal mutual fund. In this article, I’ll look into the Top 10 Popular Precious Metals and Minerals ETF (Exchange Traded Funds) and ETN (Exchange Traded Notes). The list includes: SPDR Gold Shares, iShares Silver Trust and more.

The Top 10 Popular Precious Metals and Minerals ETF and ETN:

1. SPDR Gold Shares
2. iShares Silver Trust
3. iShares Gold Trust
4. ETFS Physical Swiss Gold Shares
5. ETFS Physical Palladium Shares
6. ETFS Physical Platinum Shares
7. ETFS Physical Silver Shares
8. PowerShares DB Precious Metals  
9. PowerShares DB Gold  
10. PowerShares DB Silver

Other Precious Metals Funds:

• Best Precious Metals Mutual Funds 2012
• Top Performer Precious Metals Mutual Funds May 2011

Top 5 Nuveen National Municipal Bond Closed End Funds

This article will provide Top 5 High Yield Leverage Tax Free Nuveen National Municipal CEFs list. The top funds includes Nuveen Select Quality Municipal,  Nuveen Muni High Income Opportunity  and more.

These municipal bond closed end funds are typically:

• They are part of leveraged funds
• They have tax free high yield compare to mutual funds
• They have higher risks due to interest rate risk

The Top 5 Tax Free Nuveen National Municipal CEFs are:

1. Nuveen Select Quality Municipal (NQS)
2. Nuveen Muni High Income Opportunity (NMZ)
3. Nuveen Dividend Advantage 3 (NZF)
4. Nuveen Municipal High Income Opportunity 2 (NMD)
5. Nuveen Dividend Advantage 2 (NXZ)

1. Nuveen Select Quality Municipal (NQS)

The investment objective of Nuveen Select Quality Municipal fund is to provide current income exempt from federal income tax rate. This muni bond CEF invests most of assets in a diversified portfolio of tax free investment grade municipal bonds. The fund manager is Thomas C. Spalding Jr.

This top municipal bond fund has a distribution rate of 6.56%. Based on 35% federal tax rate, the taxable equivalent yield is 10.1%. The expense ratio is 1.53%. It also has $784 million of total net assets. The effective leverage is 37%.

It has a 5 year annualized return of 6.91%. Morningstar has ranked this closed end fund with 4 stars. As of March 2012, the average duration is 14.28 years and the average maturity is 19.84 years. Its annual portfolio turnover rate is 13%. The top 5 sectors in its portfolio are health care (21.13%), limited tax obligation (17.98%), general tax obligation (13.27%), transportation (12.3%), and US Guaranteed (6.89%).

2. Nuveen Municipal High Income Opportunity (NMZ)

This Nuveen Municipal High Income Opportunity fund uses its assets to purchase a portfolio of investment grade municipal bonds and non-investment grade municipal bonds. John Miller is the fund manager since 2003. As of May 28, 2012, this best muni bond fund is trading 4.34% premium to NAV.

The total nets assets are $462 million. This municipal bond CEF has returned 17.80% over the past 3 year, and 3.09% over the past 5 year. The average coupon is 7.68%. It has 274 holdings in its assets.

3. Nuveen Dividend Advantage 3 (NZF)

Nuveen Dividend Advantage 3 fund has a distribution rate of 6.44%. This yield is distributed monthly. The total expense ratio is 1.50% per year. Its total net assets are $861 million. The total leverage ratio is 35.41%. This top fund is managed by Paul Brennan.

This tax free municipal bond fund is ranked with 4 stars rating by Morningstar. The fund has a 5 year average return of 6.66%.

Disclosure: No Position

also: Top 5 High Yield Tax Free Nuveen National Municipal Bond CEFs

Fund Performance

1. Nuveen Select Quality Muni (NQS) - 37.08%
2. Nuveen Muni High Inc Opp (NMZ) - 39.90%
3. Nuveen Dividend Advantage 3 (NZF) - 35.42%
4. Nuveen Muni High Inc Opp 2 (NMD) - 34.24%
5. Nuveen Dividend Advantage 2 (NXZ) - 32.54%
6. Nuveen Investment Quality Muni (NQM) - 35.90%
7. Nuveen Municipal Advantage (NMA) - 35.24%
8. Nuveen Premium Income Muni 2 (NPM) - 37.11%
9. Nuveen Premier Muni Income (NPF) - 36.83%
10. Nuveen Premium Income Muni (NPI) - 36.23%
11. Nuveen Premium Income Muni 4 (NPT) - 36.07%
12. Nuveen Quality Municipal Fund (NQI) - 37.29%

Top 7 Fidelity Mutual Funds 2010

This article is all about Popular Fidelity Mutual Funds. The list includes Top 7 Popular Fidelity Mutual Funds. All in the list are classified stock fund (equity fund) or diversified fund. The top funds include Fidelity Contrafund, Fidelity Spartan 500 Index, Fidelity Diversified International and more.

Top 7 Popular Best Fidelity Mutual Funds:

1. Fidelity Contrafund
2. Fidelity Spartan 500 Index
3. Fidelity Diversified International
4. Fidelity Growth Company
5. Fidelity Low-Priced Stock
6. Fidelity Puritan
7. Fidelity Total Bond

You can also check my new post.

Top 6 Popular Diversified Emerging Market Stock ETF

There are 3 different ways to invest in diversified emerging market stock funds such as through mutual fund, exchange traded fund (ETF) and closed end fund (CEF). In this post, it is all about Top 6 Popular Diversified Emerging Market Stock ETF such as iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index, iShares MSCI BRIC Index  and more.

Top 6 Popular Diversified Emerging Market Stock ETFs:

1. iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index
2. Vanguard Emerging Markets Stock ETF
3. SPDR S&P Emerging Markets Small Cap
4. iShares MSCI BRIC Index
5. Guggenheim BRIC
6. WisdomTree Emerging Markets Equity Inc

Marsco Online Stock Broker Account Review

Marsco provides brokerage account for investors who want to trade in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and options. You can find this online stock broker account review in this article.

Marsco is one of the oldest online discount stock brokerage which offers several financial or cash management services. Marsco’s brokerage account is designed for investors who want the flexibility to invest.

Product & Services

Investors or traders can trade stock online for $3.95 per trade with no shares limit and option for $3.95 per trade plus $1.25 per contract. It also offers a complete web based trading platform.

• Products: Stocks, options, mutual funds, bonds
• Market Orders: $3.95 per trade
• Limit Orders: $3.95 per trade
• Broker Assisted: $25.00 / trade
• Mutual Funds: $15.00 for no-load funds.
• Options: $3.95 /trade + $1.25/contract
• Minimum to Open: $2500
• Inactivity Fee: $0.00
• Online Statement: Free
• Mailed Statement: $2 / statement
• IRA Maintenance Fee: $30 / year
• Some Other Fees: Tender Fee: $25.00. DTC Out: $20.00/security. ACAT Out: $50.00. 
• Maximum Margin Rate: Based on proprietary base rate

Top 7 Real Estate REIT Specialty Mutual Funds 2010

In this article, I’ll provide the Top 7 Best REIT Mutual Funds. Real Estate investment should  be part of investor’s asset diversification. Investing in real estate has become steadily more popular over the last 50 years and has become a common investment vehicle. The REIT Fund include: Vanguard REIT Index, Fidelity Real Estate Investment, etc

The following is the Top 7Best Real Estate REIT Mutual Funds:

1. Vanguard REIT Index
2. Fidelity Real Estate Investment
3. Cohen & Steers Realty Shares
4. DFA Real Estate Securities I
5. T. Rowe Price Real Estate
6. First American Real Estate Securities A
7. Invesco Real Estate A

Note: You can check my latest article about Best Real Estate Mutual Funds 2012.

Top 8 Precious Metals Mineral Mutual Fund

Top 8 Precious Metals Mineral Mutual Funds are Fidelity Select Gold Portfolio, Tocqueville Gold, First Eagle Gold, etc. These gold and silver funds are part of portfolio diversification.

Introduction

Investing in precious metals such as gold, and silver should be part of investor’s investment diversification. With uncertainty of various government action or inaction, precious metals can provide a solid asset.

The top 8 precious metal mutual fund includes Fidelity Select Gold, Oppenheimer Gold & Special Minerals, Franklin Gold and Precious Metals, First Eagle Gold and USAA Precious Metals and Minerals. Also there is more table comparison.

Top 8 Precious Metals Mutual Funds are:

1. Fidelity Select Gold Portfolio
2. Oppenheimer Gold & Special Minerals A
3. Franklin Gold and Precious Metals A
4. First Eagle Gold A
5. USAA Precious Metals and Minerals
6. Tocqueville Gold
7. Van Eck Intl Investors Gold A
8. Wells Fargo Advantage Precious Metals A

For latest article, please check Best Precious Metals Mutual Funds 2012.