In a move that could boost solar energy use in homes, Google Inc. is creating a $280-million fund to help finance rooftop installations.

The Internet search giant, an avid investor in renewable energy technologies, said the deal with SolarCity, a solar panel installation company based in San Mateo, Calif., is the largest green investment it has ever made.

“Google’s leading the way and other companies could follow suit,” said Lyndon Rive, chief executive of SolarCity. “It’s not just about a dramatic environmental impact, it’s also a good return.”

The Solar Energy Industries Assn., a trade group, said residential installations nationwide have grown steadily and are expected to keep expanding this year. Read full article…

Young entrepreneurs and investors take note – when looking at a mutual fund’s prospectus, the expense ratio remains the most important number on the page. That’s the conclusion of a new study by Morningstar (NASDAQ: MORN), an independent investment research firm.

Morningstar is famous for its “star” ratings, which rate funds on the basis of risk- and load-adjusted returns. Recently, though, the company did a study on how often the rating beat expense ratios as a predictor of returns – and found that more than 50 percent of the time, expense ratios were the better choice.

An expense ratio, briefly, is the percentage of your capital you pay to put your money in a fund. Read full article…