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Investing In Mutual Funds Versus Stocks And Bonds

By Debra Kennedy


When it comes to investing, it often pays to be cautious. Otherwise, individuals can lose everything, sometimes on the same day. As such, it often pays to know which investments are riskier than others. With that being said, most all investments have at least a small associated risk including mutual funds.

While stocks and bonds tend to pose the most risk, fund based investments can also become volatile. All an investor has to do is lack back upon the Enron disaster to see that 401Ks stocked with these type investments can experience more losses than gains. As such, while fund based investing is often safer, there really is no such thing as a safe investment.

To build a portfolio, an investment company will pool money from a number of different investors. After which, the portfolio manager will purchase a variety of different type securities for each portfolio based on client needs and goals. The manager then manages the portfolio by staying abreast of current trends in the stock market, then buying and selling client holdings over time.

Also, it should be noted that all investments of this nature must be registered with the United States securities and exchange commission. If not, an investor, manager or company could be fined. In addition, anyone working in this area without a license could also see jail time. As such, it is imperative that anyone an investor work with have a Section 7 license along with any other credentials which might be required at the time.

Regardless of law, these type investments have been popular with employers and employees for quite some time. A number of employers now offer 401K retirement plans, some with matching funds. In some cases, employers will match any profits on securities held in an employee portfolio. In others, an employer will match the amount of money an employee deposits to the fund. While this is often a great benefit, employees who do not stay on the job more than year can often lose any monies invested along with any matching dollars.

There are three different types of investments in this market. These are open-ended, exchange-traded and non-exchange traded. The open-ended type allows investors to buy back shares on any business day either through the exchange or outside channels. Whereas, exchange-traded or unit investment trusts must always be traded through the stock exchange. While, non-exchange have always been the most popular, exchange traded funds have been rising in popularity.

The four main categories of the stock market include equity or stock, fixed income or bonds, market and hybrid funds. In addition, funds can either be listed as actively or passively managed based on the age and content of each portfolio. While stocks and bonds are notably the most risky of all investments, mutual and other funds also hold some risk.

For many investors, one of the biggest drawbacks is that the management fees for an investment company or portfolio manager are paid out of the fund. As such, if there are little to no profits, a fund can turn upside down simply due to these fees. As such, it is imperative to have anyone managing a portfolio provide information with relation to the success or failure of these type investments on a regular basis.




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