FYI: Warren Buffett famously said that his ideal holding period is forever. Those are good words for mutual fund investors to live by, too. Buying and holding investments for a very long time helps keep trading costs to a minimum. It will also help limit the drag of taxes on your taxable account. Trading infrequently also lessens the amount of time that you'll have to spend on your portfolio. Index tracking funds, whether traditional index funds or ETFs, are the ideal set it and forget it options. You won't have to worry about portfolio managers coming and going or the fund strategy changing. One index fund can cover the whole U.S. market.
Regards,
Ted
http://www.morningstar.com/videos/853431/3-funds-you-can-hold-forever.html
