Saturday, July 2, 2016

Investing In Mutual Funds Versus Stocks And Bonds

By Debra Kennedy


It often pays to be cautious when investing. Whether investing in real estate, the stock market or a joint venture, all investments contain some level of risk. When it comes to mutual funds, there are both advantages and disadvantages but depending on age, there can also be severe monetary risks.

These type investments are are often considered a safer investment than others. One reason being that most of these entities have portfolio managers which work with clients on a one-on-one basis. Whereas, others may only host a service center which serves multiple clients. While there is no actual definition for the term, these type investments are based on specific investment vehicles and open-end investment companies.

When it comes to this type investing, portfolio managers generally pool money from different investors, then purchase a variety of securities. If those securities see a profit, then the investors will see a shared return on investments. Otherwise, the value of each fund can either drop or fall in accordance with market trends.

It is important when making these type investments to go through legal channels. For, all these type investments must be registered with the securities and exchange commission. In addition, anyone working in this area must hold a Section 7 license. Otherwise, the investor, portfolio manager and company could all be fined. To learn more about these regulations, please see the Investment Code Act of 1940 as set forth by the Internal Revenue Service of the United States.

These type investments are known for being popular with employees and employers. For, a number of companies offering 401K retirement to plan to employees often stock those plans with these type investments. While this is the case, there are both advantages and disadvantages, especially as related to more traditional stock-market style investing. For, there is always a risk of losses as well as gains throughout the life of the portfolio.

Also, there are different types of investments in this market. As such, it pays to know which types are being purchased and sold out of a portfolio. These include non-exchange traded, exchange-traded and open-ended. Of all of these types, open-ended pose the least risk. Whereas, exchange-traded generally pose the most. One reason being, that exchange-traded securities can only be bought and sold when the exchange is open.

When it comes to understanding the stock market, there are basically four categories. These include the hybrid, fixed income, stock and equity. When it comes to market listings, funds can either be listed as passively or actively managed. In most cases, funds of the mutual type are going to be actively managed as trends have been known to change on a daily basis.

One of the biggest drawbacks of these type investments is that the investor must pay any expenses incurred by the fund. As a result, the fund can often lose a great deal in the way of returns and performance. To avoid this issue, investors need keep a close eye on these and other fees which are often posted on quarterly, bi-annual or annual reports. Otherwise, it is easy for a fund to become upside down due to maintenance costs rather than showing a profit to investors.




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