Before I started my internship at Buffalo First, one of my goals was to learn about mutual funds and ETF’s. To get more acclimated with how they work, Al had me research the strongest performing funds by varying categories. He also wrote up a number of questions for me to answer about mutual funds, ETF’s, equities, economic markets, and portfolio theories. Through the assignment I received a number of valuable lessons. Some of these lessons included important investment knowledge such as the difference between mutual fund classes, charges on funds, how to examine a fund, and what all the terminology means. As I followed up with my research, I was able to understand how sales loads, management expenses, and internal fees affect the overall performance of investments.
Much of what I learned is crucial to making a solid investment portfolio. I also researched the economic impact of certain events on equities, bonds, and funds. I learned how necessary it is to keep current with what is going on in the world or else your investments will be out of touch and ultimately will falter. I was able to get a hands on experience in choosing funds and this lesson is something I can certainly carry with me into the future. Projects like this prove why my experience here at Buffalo First has been so valuable.
