Mutual funds have long been a popular option for many investors, whether an investor is looking to invest many thousands of dollars at a time, or just a few hundred. Mutual funds are managed investment pools that can invest in publically traded companies, corporate or treasury bonds, real estate interests or just about any other type of investment vehicle. The mutual fund structure allows an individual investor to diversify his or her investment risk and to follow a particular investment focus by making a single investment in the fund. But with literally thousands of different mutual funds available, what should...

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The ETF, or exchange traded fund, is a fairly new type of investment product. It holds stocks, bonds, commodities or other types of assets and sometimes tracks an index like the S&P 500. It is similar in structure to a mutual fund, yet is traded on a stock exchange. ETFs usually include investments that are grouped under some sort of common theme. It could be top performers in a given industry, those listed on various indexes, or up and coming stocks from a certain market sector. These investments often look quite attractive at first glance, but they’re not right for...

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When it comes to savings, money market accounts are among the most popular. They offer better returns than most standard savings accounts, yet still allow easy access to your money when you need it. These accounts are often confused with money market funds, but the two are actually very different. Whereas a money market account is guaranteed not to lose value, there is no such guarantee with a money market fund. That’s because instead of a bank-backed savings account, a money market fund is an investment vehicle. Some banks offer money market funds as well as money market accounts, adding to...

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With the current volatility of the stock market you may be wondering if you should invest in mutual funds. If you are currently contributing to a 401K through your employer and you've had an opportunity to select the type of investment, the quarterly updates you receive clearly explain how your investment has been holding up. How does a mutual fund work? For example, let’s assume you are contributing a certain percentage of your paycheck to your retirement fund. The manager of the fund utilizes the contributions from all employees and invests in stocks and bonds. If...

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