Although many of the big fund shops demand at least $2,500 for you to open an account, a handful of funds run by all-star managers will still let you start smallÑor start a small account for that up-and-coming investor in your life.
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | More $1,000 Ideas |
| Row 1 - Cell 0 | Enter Our Best $1,000 Idea Contest |
For just $250, you can invest in the Hodges fund, which holds all sizes of companies with strong growth prospects. Its record is one of the best for any stock fund. Since Don Hodges started the fund in 1992, the annualized return has been 14%. The expense ratio is 1.47% per year.
If cheaply priced stocks are more your style, consider Homestead Value. Since 1990, Stuart Teach and Peter Morris have been buying beaten-down large and midsize companies. Homestead Value has delivered an annualized 10% over the past decade. The minimum is $500, and the expense ratio is just 0.71%.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
For $250, you can buy a socially screened portfolio. Pax World Balanced avoids firms with significant revenues from weapons, gambling or tobacco. Since manager Chris Brown came aboard in April 1998, Pax has delivered an annualized 8%. Annual expenses are a reasonable 0.97%.
A grand will get you into a handful of our top-rated Kiplinger 25 funds. These include Bill Miller's go-anywhere, buy-anything Legg Mason Opportunity Trust, Bill Nygren's Oakmark Select and the large-company-focused Selected American Shares, managed by Chris Davis and Ken Feinberg.
-
Fed Cuts Rates Again: What the Experts Are SayingFederal Reserve The central bank continued to ease, but a new administration in Washington clouds the outlook for future policy moves.
-
Fed Goes Big With First Rate Cut: What the Experts Are Saying
Federal Reserve A slowing labor market prompted the Fed to start with a jumbo-sized reduction to borrowing costs.
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Retreat Ahead of Nvidia EarningsMarkets lost ground on light volume Wednesday as traders keyed on AI bellwether Nvidia earnings after the close.
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Edge Higher With Nvidia Earnings in FocusNvidia stock gained ground ahead of tomorrow's after-the-close earnings event, while Super Micro Computer got hit by a short seller report.
-
Stock Market Today: Dow Hits New Record Closing HighThe Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500 finished in the red as semiconductor stocks struggled.
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Pop After Powell's Jackson Hole SpeechFed Chair Powell's Jackson Hole speech struck a dovish tone which sent stocks soaring Friday.
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Drop Ahead of Powell's Jackson Hole SpeechSentiment turned cautious ahead of Fed Chair Powell's highly anticipated speech Friday at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium.
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Rise After Jobs Data Lifts Rate-Cut OddsPreliminary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows job growth was lower than previously estimated.
