I haven't looked at this fund since December and I am surprised that its down.
I thought it was mostly in oil stocks.

I have no doubt that it will go higher by year's end.
After that I might pull out and just park my money in cash for a couple of years.

I think China and India are expanding too fast.
I think this fund is underexposed in those two countries.

But if China and India pull back and the US
goes into a recession next year (we are NOT in one right now...not with 5% unemployment)
I think cash will be king.

I usually pull out too soon. I pulled out in 1986 and got back in just after the 1987 crash.
I was in and out of another Van Kampen fund
(it was American Capital back then)
and it was actually 10% higher between getting out in 1986 and getting in after the 1987 crash.

I have also pulled out half way up and gotten in at the top and sold at the bottom.

Sometimes its just better to buy and forget about it.

But 3 years ago I was in a US fund that wasn't doing all that well, plus I compounded it with trading losses.

Then I discovered this fund and just parked my money there and forgot about it.

I am up over 100%.

And once again, the chart does NOT account for the 20% dividend on 13 December.