How to Invest In Ariel Mutual Funds

Ariel Capital Management, LLC has been concentrating on investing in small and medium-sized businesses since 1983. The company offers three no-load mutual funds that focus on companies with undervalued share prices. The mutual fund focus at Ariel is to avoid the trends and take a steady approach to providing long-term capital appreciation. Ariel favors research, focus and persistence over speed and glamour. Privately owned and based in Chicago, Ariel manages more than $16 billion in assets.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Money to invest
• Computer with Internet access

Instructions

1. Develop your investment objectives and write them down.
2. Review available Ariel mutual funds with your objectives in mind.
3. Learn about the Ariel Appreciation Fund; it seeks the long-term appreciation of capital through mid-cap value investments. The fund's ticker symbol is CAAPX and its newspaper symbol is Apprec. The Ariel Appreciation Fund had $2.7 billion in assets in September 2006.
4. Review information concerning the Ariel Focus Fund, stock ticker symbol ARFFX. This fund is managed with a mid- to large-cap value style, seeking long-term capital growth. Its net assets totaled $29 million in September 2006.
5. Consider the Ariel Fund, stock ticker symbol ARGFX and newspaper symbol Ariel. This fund focuses on small- to mid-cap stocks and had $4.3 billion in assets in September 2006.
6. Make your first move to invest in Ariel mutual funds; open an account online at ArielMutualFunds.com. Alternatively, you may choose to invest in an Ariel fund by printing an online application and mailing it with your opening investment check.

Tips & Warnings

• Ariel Mutual funds carry no load or sales charge. However, request and read the prospectus for the Ariel fund you are considering to learn of any other charges.
• Ariel mutual funds are only available to citizens or resident aliens of the United States. To purchase shares of Ariel mutual funds, you must live within the United States or its territories. A United States military address is acceptable for opening an account with Ariel as well.
• When comparing savings accounts to mutual funds, there's really no contest. Savings accounts earn very little interest in comparison to most mutual funds. Unlike mutual fund accounts, however, savings accounts are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).
• Keep in mind that Ariel mutual funds are not diversified. This means they may be more volatile than diversified funds. Likewise, small- to mid-cap investment strategies may require more risk than large-cap stock strategies.