More depressing forecasts for the big banks from the best big bank analyst out there, Meredith Whitney. You may recall it was Whitney who forecast the dividend cut at Citigroup (NYSE:C) back in October 2007. That was three months before Citigroup actually cut its dividend. Whitney should also be credited as one of the few analysts to see the financial meltdown coming.

 

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were known for having tight underwriting standards. Mortgages that conformed to their requirements were made to borrowers with good credit who could put down large down payments. (This didn’t mean that they would never default.) These mortgage-backed securities were popular with investors because they offered higher potential returns than Treasury securities, but they had the implied backing of the Federal government.

JennisonDryden is a captive mutual fund company for Prudential Investments. The Jennison Natural Resources Fund invests in natural resources broadly defined, including precious and industrial metals, oil and natural gas, and timber and agriculture. Right now, 39.4% of the fund is…

Almost two-thirds of the world is made up of young workers willing to work for low wages and in desperate need of such basic consumer goods as cell phones and refrigerators. They live in countries that lack the money or political will to build infrastructure or trade. Now, these young workers want change…

American Funds Fundamental Investors is a big fund with a nice, steady track record. This growth and income fund has been around since 1978, posting a compound annual rate of return of 14.22% (13.99% if you want to include..

When Jim Oberweis launched a fund to take advantage of China’s rapidly growing economy, he chose a road less traveled by purchasing shares of small companies positioned to profit from the country’s exploding middle class and its appetite for goods and services.

While Marsico doesn’t officially manage the 21st Century Fund – the third fund started by the fund family – he works closely with manager Corydon Gilcrist, CFA. The fund invests in growth companies of any size and boasts a concentrated portfolio of…

Henderson Global Technology Fund, a six year- old fund, provides just such an opportunity. One of seven funds managed by London-based Henderson Global Investors, the fund has only $73 million in assets, but…

In its 77 year history, Dodge and Cox has launched a total of four funds. Dodge and Cox International, launched in May 2001, is the firm’s newest fund. In the past six years, the fund has gathered an impressive $38 billion in assets and has…

The goal of the index fund is to buy the same stocks in similar proportions to the index it is tracking, thereby mirroring the return.