Investor Education
Educational pieces that discuss a range of investing topics like the effects of inflation, the cost of procrastination, diversification and the benefits of specific style classes.
1. General Investing
RidgeWorth Funds Capital Gains Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) (106 KB, PDF)
Provides important information and dates regarding RidgeWorth Funds 2009 capital gains.
Procrastination could make your road to retirement more challenging (131 KB, PDF)
A review of the effect of procrastination on the accumulation of assets for retirement, graphically demonstrating that starting early can have a dramatic impact on both how much you need to contribute and how much you can accumulate over the long term
Small investments may stack up over time (103 KB, PDF)
A chart showing the potential accumulation from investing just $200 per month over time
Stocks, Bonds, Treasury Bills and Inflation 1926 – 2009 (234 KB, PDF)
A review of the returns of U.S. small stocks, the S&P 500, U.S. long-term government bonds, U.S. 30-day T-bills and U.S. inflation
The Affluent Investor: A history of tax rates and tax-equivalent yields (178 KB, PDF)
Even with current tax rates, the tax advantage of municipal bonds has benefited affluent investors. This chart tracks the history of marginal tax rates and municipal and treasury yields
Time – not timing – is a key determinant to investment success (99 KB, PDF)
One of the dangers of trying to time the market is the possibility of missing out on key events, such as market upswings and recoveries. This piece shows the effects of missing the best five, ten, twenty and thirty market trading days in the past fifteen years
Understanding Mutual Fund Distributions (100 KB, PDF)
A brief overview of mutual fund distributions explaining why distributions are made, how they are calculated, and giving several reasons why a mutual fund with negative performance returns may be making a distribution
Why diversify? Because focusing on a single type of investment may lead to high volatility (224 KB, PDF)
Perhaps nothing better illustrates the need for an asset allocation plan than this chart. It shows how various style classes performed on a year-by-year basis from 1989 to 2008
Will you have enough money to live comfortably through retirement? (89 KB, PDF)
This chart shows the portions of your pre–retirement income that a recent study estimates will be provided by social security and what portion it estimates that you will need from savings and pensions
2. Specific Investment Styles
Comparison of Our Three Intermediate Investment Grade Bond Funds (453 KB, PDF)
An overview of the primary differences between the RidgeWorth Intermediate Bond, Investment Grade Bond and Total Return Bond Funds.
Defaults are Expected to Increase as Bank Loan and High Yield Bonds Mature in the Next Few Years (233 KB, PDF)
Explains how high yield issuers took advantage of low rates in 2003-2007; and consequently, maturities for bank loan and high yield bonds are expected to balloon in 2013 and 2014, increasing their risk of default.
Dividends Offer Downside Protection During Turbulent Market Cycles (107 KB, PDF)
Discusses the benefits of dividend investing, and shows that dividends have been an important source of total return and have offered downside protection in turbulent markets.
Fair Value Pricing (190 KB, PDF)
An overview of why it’s important to determine real share value and the importance of accurately valuing securities that trade on foreign exchanges.
Why Invest in Mid-Caps? (279 KB, PDF)
Shows that adding an allocation of mid-cap stocks to a portfolio may improve the risk/return relationship of an investment portfolio over the long-term.
