How to Invest in Dodge Cox Mutual Funds

Dodge & Cox has been providing investment management services since 1930. Based in San Francisco, Dodge & Cox serves individuals and tax-exempt institutional clients, offering mutual funds and other investment accounts. Dodge & Cox offers a selection of equity, balanced and fixed income portfolios, managed with a concentration on longevity, discipline and an independent philosophy.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Internet access
• Funds to invest

Instructions

1. Visit the Dodge & Cox official Web site (a link to which can be found in the Resources section below) and review the available mutual funds.
2. Know that Dodge & Cox offers four different mutual funds, each with no load. This means you can invest in these funds without incurring sales charges.
3. Read about the Dodge & Cox International Stock Fund, stock symbol DODFX, online. This fund focuses on long-term capital appreciation and the growth of income. Its primary investments are diversified equity securities from foreign companies.
4. Note that both the Dodge & Cox Stock Fund and the Balanced Fund are closed to new investors.
5. Learn about the Dodge & Cox Income Fund, symbol DODIX, on the Dodge & Cox Web site. This fund targets high income while maintaining stability, as well as capital preservation, over time. Primary investments include quality bonds and fixed-income securities.
6. Compare Dodge & Cox with other funds in the same class at the Morningstar or Lipper Web sites (both sites can be found in the Resources section below). Read reports or articles concerning these funds online.
7. Download prospectuses from the Dodge & Cox Web site. Review each prospectus carefully.
8. Choose a fund or funds in which to invest and determine the amount of your initial investment.
9. Print, complete, and mail an account application, as well as your initial investment. You'll find an application at the end of the fund's prospectus.

Tips & Warnings

• Be aware that no-load funds are not completely cost-free. Carefully review the prospectuses of any no-load funds you are considering to determine the actual costs of investing.
• Some funds allow you to reinvest distributions, redeem shares and shift money to another fund in the same family, after a time, without incurring costs. This can help keep your investment costs to a minimum.
• Independent investment Web sites can help you to learn about particular mutual funds at a glance. These sites often provide rating information, giving funds rankings in comparison to simlar funds. Such sites typically provide performance, management and purchasing information for the funds they list. Some also provide daily net asset values (NAVs).