What's Your Fund's Benchmark?

They say he who watches the clock becomes one of the hands.

The same can be said of watching market indices. At a time when earnings warnings are causing many stock prices to plummet, and a downward arrow is becoming an all-too-familiar prefix to major market indices, how closely should investors track their performance with regard to these market indicators?

Many planners say that it's important during turmoil not to become hung up on the markets' daily swings and to keep focused on long-term investing goals. But if you must obsess, make sure the indices you're looking at are comparable to the types of investments you hold, experts say. ...