14/07/2018
Some of the key benefits of mutual funds include simplicity, cost, diversification, and professional management. These and other benefits make mutual funds the first and best choice of investment for the do-it-yourself investors, as well as professional money managers.
If you are a beginner and want to know why mutual funds are a good fit for your investment needs, or if you are an advanced investor and need a reminder of why mutual funds are best-suited for your financial goals and lifestyle, here are some of the many benefits you need to know.
Here are 8 of the top benefits of mutual funds:
1. Simplicity: Mutual Funds Are Easy to Understand
Anything can be made into something more complex than it needs to be and mutual funds are no exception to this truth. However, mutual funds require no experience or knowledge of economics, financial statements, or financial markets to be a successful investor.
For beginners, here is a simple definition of mutual fund: A mutual fund is an investment security type that enables investors to pool
their money together into one professionally managed investment. Mutual funds can invest in stocks, bonds, cash and/or other assets. These underlying security types, called holdings combine to form one mutual fund, also called a portfolio.
In different words, Mutual funds can be considered baskets of investments. Each basket holds dozens or hundreds of security types, such as stocks or bonds. Therefore, when an investor buys a mutual fund, they are buying a basket of investment securities. Simple!
Yes, there are many things to know about mutual funds but compared to the broad world of financial products, mutual funds are quite easy to use and understand.
2. Accessibility: Mutual Funds Are Easy to Buy
Mutual funds are offered at brokerage firms, discount brokers online, mutual fund companies, banks, and insurance companies. Even beginning investors can easily open an
account at a no-load mutual fund company, such as Vanguard Investments, and open an account within minutes.
3. Diversification: Mutual Funds Have Broad Market Exposure
One mutual fund can invest in dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of different investment securities, making it possible to achieve diversification by investing in just one fund. However, it is smart to diversify into several different mutual funds.
4. Variety: Mutual Funds Come In Many Different Categories and Types
As you grow your portfolio of mutual funds, you will want to diversify into various mutual fund categories and types. You can invest in mutual funds that cover the main asset classes (stocks, bonds, cash) and various sub-categories or you can even venture into specialized areas, such as sector funds or precious metals funds.
5. Affordability: Mutual Funds Have Low Minimums
Most mutual funds have minimum initial investment requirements of $3,000 or less. In many cases, if the investor initiates a systematic investment program, where they have a fixed dollar amount or fixed number of shares purchased once per month, the initial investment can be as low as $1,000.
6. Frugality: Mutual Funds Cost Less to Manage Than Other Portfolio Types
Costs as a percentage of assets in the portfolio are usually lower for an actively-managed mutual fund when compared to an actively-managed portfolio of individual securities.