Making money: What the experts say

Market-proof mutual funds

Feeling burned by a decade of mediocre stock market returns—coupled with a few serious nose dives—some “skittish investors” are seeking shelter in so-called absolute return funds, said Annelena Lobb in The Wall Street Journal. These funds use a variety of strategies—including shorting stocks and buying commodities—to make money regardless of the behavior of the overall market. Most such funds are too new to have much of a track record, but the short-term results aren’t all that encouraging. Among the 22 funds with “absolute” in their name, the average 12-month return through March was 11.56 percent, according to Morningstar.com. That was worse than both stocks and bonds overall, which were up 56.88 percent and 17.34 percent, respectively.

Do-good investing

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Investing in socially responsible funds makes a statement that “share price isn’t the only value that counts,” said Pat Regnier in Money. Although different funds emphasize different values, most avoid tobacco stocks, and many rank companies based on their environmental or labor practices. Avoiding certain stocks, for any reason, can affect returns—but investing with a social bent is “no more irrational than other biases people bring to investing.” Just be sure to pay close attention to costs; “social index funds, for example, charge .10 to .75 of a percentage point more a year in fees than plain-vanilla index funds.” Also, keep in mind that social indexes track unique benchmarks, so returns may be “quite different from the market’s.”

What’s a tooth worth?

When your child’s first loose tooth is hanging by a thread, it’s time to grapple with the tooth fairy’s pay schedule, said Sarah Lorge Butler in CBSMoneyWatch.com. The going rate for a tooth seems to vary by region and circumstances. In New York City and surrounding communities, for instance, a tooth goes for about $5 a pop. In most other parts of the country, however, $1 seems to be the norm. “It’s okay to offer a bonus if there’s a lot of blood, an injury, or a trip to the dentist required.” The same is true for a first tooth or if the tooth fairy is late. “She has been known to give a couple of dollars for the nights she missed her route.”