In simplistic terms, the key to the success or failure of a stock mutual fund is its selection of investments. If you want to find a mutual fund that is buying into companies you like and avoiding others you want to stay away from, use the search tool titled Mutual Discovery.
By digging into a mutual fund's disclosure statements, you discover what specific stocks it holds -- but it is a difficult process. Mutual Discovery does the work for you, by using Lipper and other research companies.
In the "Fund4You" area, you can choose companies you like or dislike, and search for mutual funds that own those companies. The answer can help guide you to a particular fund. Be aware that by entering a list of 10 big technical stocks, for example, it will bring back the names of broad-based funds that own those companies as well as tech-sector funds.
Other features include "EfundReport," which will send you an e-mail when one of your target funds reports changes in its holdings to the Securities and Exchange Commission. There is also "FundsInView" to allow you to do more traditional research and compare funds.
