The Money Machine

Daniel Stoffman became intrigued by the mutual fund industry while writing the phenomenal bestseller Boom Bust & Echo with David K. Foot. The stock markets, driven by baby boomers saving for their retirement, were enjoying an extended bull run. Mutual funds -- which few people had even heard of in the sixties -- were becoming the investment vehicle of choice.Stoffman's first surprise was that the fund companies see themselves not as financial institutions but as manufacturers of products. These products are marketed to consumers, just like soft drinks or automobiles or razor blades. The most successful companies aren't those that provide the best returns on clients' investments, they're the ones that most effectively market their products.The industry has done a fine job of keeping investors ignorant of its workings, Stoffman discovered, and with good reason. Most are unaware of the fees they pay to own mutual funds. Few realize that financial planners are remunerated by the fund companies into which they put their clients' money, which means their advice may not be objective. And not many understand that mutual fund companies can thrive even when they deliver mediocre performance.As baby boomers retire and find them-selves with the time to manage their own investments, they're becoming more knowledgeable, more discerning, and more reluctant to pay the sometimes exorbitant fees charged by the fund companies. All of this points to increasing consolidation among the mutual fund companies, Stoffman believes, and growing public pressure to reform the industry.Daniel Stoffman is the author of 'The Money Machine', published 2000 under ISBN 9781551990521 and ISBN 1551990520.