Mutual Fund

What does it Mean? An investment vehicle that is made up of a pool of funds collected from many investors for the purpose of investing in securities such as stocks, bonds, money market instruments and similar assets. Mutual funds are operated by money mangers, who invest the fund's capital and attempt to produce capital gains and income for the fund's investors. A mutual fund's portfolio is structured and maintained to match the investment objectives stated in its prospectus.
 
Investopedia Says... One of the main advantages of mutual funds is that they give small investors access to professionally managed, diversified portfolios of equities, bonds and other securities, which would be quite difficult (if not impossible) to create with a small amount of capital. Each shareholder participates proportionally in the gain or loss of the fund. Mutual fund units, or shares, are issued and can typically be purchased or redeemed as needed at the fund's current net asset value (NAV) per share, which is sometimes expressed as NAVPS.

Terms Related Links

Asset Allocation Fund
Back-End Load
Balanced Fund
Closed-End Investment
Front-End Load
Investor Shares
Net Asset Value - NAV
No-Load Fund
Open-End Fund
Prospectus

Terms Related Links
Special Feature: Mutual Funds - Mutual funds are an inexpensive and easy way to benefit from diversification and professional management. See our mutual fund feature for everything you need to know.

Picking The Right Mutual Fund - Learn how to narrow down your list from thousands of choices.

Mutual Fund Basics Tutorial - Learn about the basics - and the pitfalls - of investing in mutual funds.

The ABCs Of Mutual Fund Classes - Do you understand how the various types of shares differ? We give you the pros and cons of each.

The Truth Behind Mutual Fund Returns - Survivorship bias erases substandard performers, distorting overall mutual fund returns.

Can You Pick The Winners At The Mutual Fund Track? - For both mutual funds and racehorses, there's no surefire way to pick a winner.

Mutual Funds: Introduction - Determine if this type of fund is right for you.

When To Sell A Mutual Fund - Unhappy with your mutual fund's returns and thinking of investing elsewhere? Read this article first.

Understanding The Style Box - Evaluate your investments with this simple tool.

Forbes Stock Market Course - An indispensable and easy-to-read guide to building wealth. Includes valuable information on the various aspects of mutual funds.

How do you calculate the cost basis for a mutual fund over an extended time period?

Where do most fund managers get their market information?

Explosive Gains In Forex – Learn what makes the currency markets move with your exclusive free report!

Coattail Investor - Explore what stocks the world's top mutual funds and portfolio managers hold!

Investopedia's Advisor Finder - Find high quality, pre-screened financial advisors in your area that match your financial goals. Best of all - it's completely FREE!

A rocky market demands our discipline Click Here - Van Kampen Investments has guided generations of investors on their path to financial success. Learn about our disciplined approach.




add investopedia foot
www.investopedia.com