A mutual fund is a pool of money and investments (e.g. stocks, bonds and other types of investments) that are managed by a professional fund manager.
A mutual fund typically focuses on specific types of investments. For example, a fund may invest in:
- high-quality government and corporate bonds,
- stocks from large companies,
- stocks from certain countries,
- stocks in certain industries, or
- a mix of stocks and bonds.
When you purchase units in a mutual fund, a professional manager will buy and sell stocks and bonds on your behalf. They’ll manage all the buy-and-sell decisions, so you won’t have to.
Fund managers have extensive experience and deep research capabilities in selecting investments.