If you already have a specific fund on your mind and want to findmore about your target, then Morningstar’s mutual fund page is a greatresource for your research (you will need to use other tools to screenthe funds if you don’t know what to invest). Here I use Vanguard 500Index (VFINX)as an example to show what I check when I research mutual funds.Entering the symbol at the homepage and you will see a screen as below.

Load

Before I look anything else, I want to make sure the fund doesn’t carry a load. Mutual fund loadis nothing but fees paid for brokers to sell the fund and has nothingto do with fund’s performance. There are many great funds out there forme to get direct access and I don’t need a broker to help me select afund and sell it to me.