What is a mutual fund?
Before you decide on an investment strategy, it helps to know some basic terminology. A mutual fund is a pooled investment opportunity that collects money from multiple investors and then invests in a portfolio of securities, such as stocks and bonds.
Fund managers manage the investment decisions on behalf of these investors by buying and selling the securities based on the mutual fund’s objectives.
As a whole, mutual funds attract investors for numerous reasons. For starters, a beginner or seasoned investor can invest in them. It offers portfolio diversification too, which means you spread your investment across numerous assets, which may reduce your risk. Plus, they typically have low fees (although this isn’t always the case, so check out each one’s fees).
5 mutual fund investment strategies
If you’d like to start
investing in mutual funds or incorporate them into your portfolio, you may find numerous mutual fund options overwhelming. This is where having a mutual fund strategy can help, and you can pick one that aligns with your financial goals and how much risk you’re willing to take.
1. Index funds
An index fund strategy with mutual funds means investing in a fund set up to replicate the performance of a specific market index, such as the S&P 500. The fund includes a diversified portfolio of securities
This strategy is considered passive investing because it doesn’t involve active stock selection by a fund manager, which also means lower fees and minimal turnover – which simply means sticking with the same stocks. Index funds offer investors a way to participate in the overall market's performance without the need for individual stock research and selection.
Pros
Index funds offer portfolio diversification, low expense ratios, and low turnover since they don't require active management.
They can be an excellent choice for long-term, passive investors seeking steady returns with minimal fees.
Cons
Index funds only match the returns of whichever index they’re mirroring, so they won't outperform the market.
They can still experience losses during market downturns since they are fully invested.
2. Buy-and-hold
Another strategy is referred to as “buy-and-hold.” With this strategy, investors purchase mutual fund shares and hold onto them for an extended period — perhaps years or decades. The idea behind this strategy means riding out market fluctuations and really focusing (and hopefully capitalizing) on the long-term growth potential.
Investors using this strategy avoid frequent buying and selling, which keeps transaction costs at a minimum and potentially reduces capital gains taxes. The basic belief of this strategy is that investors can benefit from the compound growth of their mutual fund holdings.
Pros
Cons
Investors must endure market downturns since they’re holding on to these mutual funds for the long term.
Due to market conditions, there is little flexibility and no role for active management of the fund if you want to change course.
3. Asset allocation
Another strategy is the asset allocation strategy. This involves dividing up a mutual fund's investments among various asset classes, such as stocks, bonds, cash, and other securities.
Investors who choose this strategy typically seek a diversified portfolio that balances risk and returns to match their goals and risk tolerance. When you spread out investments across various asset classes with this strategy, you’re trying to reduce the impact of market volatility on your portfolio while getting steady, long-term growth.
Pros
Cons