Your Web Site
Meet the New Frontier Q: What are "frontier" funds? J.V. A: They're mutual funds focused on investing in certain parts of the world. You've probably heard of "emerging markets." Well, emerging markets funds these days are typically heavily invested in companies in Brazil, Russia, India and China (sometimes referred to as "BRIC" countries). Those are rapidly growing economies, unlike the slower and steadier economies of the more developed world (think Japan, Europe and the U.S.). For those who'd like their portfolios exposed to countries that are not quite as developed as the BRIC ones, enter the newfangled frontier funds. They're invested in smaller, often riskier economies, such as Qatar, Lebanon, Poland, Peru, Kazakhstan and Namibia. Be careful with these funds — they tend to charge relatively high fees, and they're likely... [read full story]
