First, ETFs are usually more passively managed, whereas most mutual funds are more actively managed, meaning the fund manager can add or remove stocks at will based on ongoing market analysis.

A mutual fund allows you to pool your money with other investors to buy stocks, bonds and other securities. Because mutual funds typically involve a larger number of asset types, they diversify ...

Like any investment, index funds have advantages, such as lower fees, as well as disadvantages. Read on to see if this ...

Evaluate whether the product is right for you and the level of risk you're willing to accept with your investments.

Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations. A first-rate mutual fund portfolio is diversified. It holds funds focusing on U.S. stocks and bonds as well as international securities.

Mutual fund units are allocated at the NAV on the day the application is processed. A mutual fund's value is equal to the sum of all of its securities. Thus, the price of one unit is a fraction of the ...

Did your mutual fund beat the market last year ... Together, these two portfolios comprise "the market." Since the index-fund portfolio by definition is identical to the market, the second ...

Paul Katzeff is an award-winning journalist who has written four books about how to grow your 401(k) retirement nest egg and one about internet investing. He has worked as a senior reporter/writer ...

Actively manage mutual funds are operated by fund managers who ... Its expense ratio is 0.02%, meaning every $10,000 invested costs $2 annually. Passive, or index funds, generally have a 0.12% ...