Gold Funds Have a Secret

Checking under the hood when you're shopping for a mutual fund is no less important than it is when you're buying a car.

After all, if you take a look at certain precious metals funds, you might be surprised to learn that their managers have been drifting toward holding assets that aren't closely tied to gold or silver.

With gold now hovering near its highest average price ever -- around $744 an ounce up from $640 in January -- the metal as an asset class is catching the limelight. So it should come as no surprise if retail investors flock to the precious metals funds. ...