Investors regularly call Vanguard [profile] to ask about the mutual funds they have that produce income, according to Michael Pollock at the Wall Street Journal.

According to John Ameriks, head of Vanguard's Investment Counseling and Research Group, "the calls show many people only think of income as cash flow — such as the money generated by bond interest payments or stock dividends," Pollock writes in the article.

However, with interest rates low and bond yields falling, "it's unlikely that your portfolio can generate as much pure income now as it did five or 10 years ago," says Ameriks. Most investors, he says, need to rely on a total-return strategy, or investing for cash flow and capital appreciation.

For more of Pollock's analysis of the subject, go to the Wall Street Journal. 

Edited by: Tommy Fernandez


Stay ahead of the news ... Sign up for our email alerts now
CLICK HERE