I just can't figure out how to evaluate which funds are better??
I've got the Vanguard Mid Cap Index Fund (VIMAX) in a regular account, and Roth IRAs in SOPFX (W.F. Opp Fund) and STCSX (W.F. Common Stock Fund). I want to shift the IRAs to the same VIMAX fund to make things simpler/cleaner and because I think VIMAX has been better than the other two.
But I don't really know if it has?? I'm confused as hell!
They're all basically Mid Cap-ish funds, but the Wells Fargo Funds have fees ~1.2% higher than Vanguard's, but all seem to be real good. I think I'd be fine just leaving it, as is, but I'd like to know which has been the best one for the past 10 years, and exactly what the proof of that is.
I thought it was clearly the Vanguard VIMAX, but my wife doesn't think so, and neither of us knows how to prove who's right (therefore I am, heh).
Online comparison charts (Yahoo Finance) show VIMAX has gone MUCH higher than the other two over the past decade+, but mostly because the Wells Fargo funds drop each December when they get large dividends that VIMAX doesn't get as much.
But looking in one-year blocks starting on the date of each dividend dip (which erases it), it still looks like VIMAX consistently goes higher than the other two. I was guessing that was the effect of much lower fees, but really don't know where the drag of fees gets factored in?
The past 5 years for VIMAX has been ~19%
It was ~17% and ~15% for STCSX and SOPFX
I thought that was 'Case Closed' -VIMAX is better short term and long compared to the other two.
But then my wife says that because we've had the Wells Fargo Funds for a long time that they get way more capital gains than we get from VIMAX. And since it's in a Roth, it's all tax free.
I'm like, "Yeah, but since VIMAX goes much higher each year, that's still gotta be better...... right??"
I can't find any good place that explains how to compare similar-ish funds like this. There's just so many different data points to look at??? I always feel like there are things I'm missing or forgetting about.
I can add more info if there's something missing that keeps anyone from giving solid answers, but I figure the less specific I am, the more chance the answers have to be useful to other people who also might not know the right data points to look at to compare funds, too.
Thanks!