by Chad Morgan

Created on: December 14, 2011   Last Updated: December 18, 2011

2012 will for certain be a very important year in the world of the economy and one area that consumers will be keeping their eyes on are their investments.  Back in 2008 when the markets collapsed and alot of people around the world lost alot of money in their IRA's and 401(k) plans, their future looked bleak. The economy has improved slightly from those dark days of a few years ago but there is still some volatility in the markets and investors want the best advice as to where their money should go. The following is a look at some of the best 401(k) mutual funds to invest in for 2012 and are being touted as the ones to turn to this upcoming year.

While the stock market usually does a little better than mutual funds, these days with the slumping markets it is just as good to invest in a mutual fund than it is a stock. As a matter of fact, alot of investment professionals these days are advising mutual funds over stocks. As far as the top mutual funds for your 401(k) this year, we have to break it down in their categories. As far as a blue chip mutual fund to invest in for 2012, it is Wells Fargo Advantage Growth. This is a mutual fund that seen double digit percentage in growth over the course of 2011, giving the indication that banks are recovering from their bailout. Statistics with the stock have shown about a 50 percent return over the past five years. 

A good mid-sized mutual stock fund to invest in for 2012 is the Scout Mid Cap Fund.  This company is widely regarded as one of the best in their field for picking stocks and have nearly $1 billion in funds that they manage.  They have a five star rating from Morningstar and last year seen an average return of 13 percent with its investors.  Some analysts are saying that 2012 could be a down year for mid-size caps but if you are able to work with a seasoned and experienced fund manager then Scout Mid Cap Fund would be the first mid-cap company to go to for investing.

Finally, there are the small mutual stock funds and the best one of these for 2012 looks to be Intrepid Small Cap. Fidelity Small Cap Discovery is widely known as the top small cap fund but the Intrepid Small Cap Fund has outperformed Fidelity over the past decade.  Intrepid has been found to have a higher manager fee than Fidelity but the returns and performance of Intrepid has been alot better and certainly make up for the difference. Morningstar has also given Intrepid a five star rating and the company has been surpassing the industry projections of the company on a regular basis.

While these are just a few of the mutual funds that investors should look about for 2012, the best thing is to talk with any investment professional and they can give you more in depth information and consultation. The most important thing to remember is that mutual funds are certainly a strong investment option for 2012.

Sources:

http://www.investorplace.com/2011/12/best-401k-mutua l-funds-for-2012/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/feeonlyplanner/2011/12/1 3/new-regulations-might-boost-your-401k-balance-in-2 012/

http://www.thestreet.com/story/10937039/1/best-vangu ard-funds-for-your-401k.html

http://www.beststockstobuynow.us/6-top-fidelity-fund s-for-your-401k

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