I have some questions about picking mutual funds.
Many new funds have high fees and are managed by less than the best portfolio managers.
You should use the same criteria as when deciding whether to invest in a new fund as you would with an established one. Of course, the fund's track record is important, as is the parent company's experience with similar types of funds that you're considering. When investing outside of retirement accounts, the tax appropriateness and friendliness of the fund should be considered. As for the importance of the fund manager, no, I don't think who the manager is should be the most important issue for most funds. With money market and bond funds, the expenses and the overall track record of the parent fund company are far more important.