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Is ‘immaculate capitalism’ sustainable?

“Scores of smoochable start-ups” have figured out how to provide great, free online services, says Reihan Salam in Slate. Now they need to figure out how to make money in a culture of “immaculate capitalism,” the “don’t be evil” vision espoused by Google in which “no one gets screwed and everyone gets awesome, free stuff.” Traditionally, these “noble and un-evil” start-ups only make money when “evil Uncle Moneybags”—Microsoft, Yahoo!, or even Google—swoops in to buy them at “a healthy valuation.” Now, with Yahoo! at risk and a recession looming, “immaculate capitalism will have to put its money where its mouth is.”

Taking the load off the table

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“Practically, mathematically, and historically speaking,” says Money Magazine’s George Mannes in CNNMoney.com, it makes no sense to put money in a load mutual fund. “It’s not an awful choice,” but with “2,000-plus no-load funds out there, there are plenty of fish in the no-load sea.” Plus, “history teaches us” that with load funds, “you’re not paying more for quality”—the commission generally cancels out any performance boost. With a 4.5 percent load, you’re “immediately putting yourself $4.50 in the hole for every $100 you spend.” Sure, you might eventually catch up with the no-load fund, “but why make it hard on yourself?”