Mutual funds may not have the same pizazz as choosing your own stocks but they do allow average investors to take advantage of low costs, diversification, and access to professional management. There is no legal definition of “mutual fund” but the term is most commonly applied to investment funds regulated and sold to the public. The four most often referred to mutual funds are: Open-end funds (OEF), Closed-end funds (CEF), Unit Investment Trusts (UIT) and Exchange traded funds (ETF). Open-end funds $17.1 trillion in holdings are currently the most popular choice for Americans followed by ETF’s $1.7 trillion, Closed-end funds [...]

You've probably heard someone say it before but what are investment funds, really? An Investment fund is a vehicle in which multiple investors can aggregate their money towards a particular strategy. In other words, it's a supply of capital that belongs to numerous investors where each person has control and ownership of their own shares. Mutual funds, money market, and exchange funds are examples of investment funds. Understanding Investment Funds This type of investment can be split into two categories: public and private. A public fund is open to the masses, while many private funds have a limited number of investors [...]

ETFs or Mutual Funds? Exchange Traded Funds (ETF) and Mutual Funds (MF) are investment vehicles that pool multiple securities into one fund, allowing investors like you and I to diversify efficiently.  These funds have become so popular that they account for more than $20 trillion in assets*. That $20 trillion has been more than enough market share to breed healthy competition between fund providers.  So how do we capitalize on this competition to maximize our investment return potential?  We learn the differences between ETFs and MFs that are material to our wallet.  These differences are costs and operations.  The costs are specific [...]