Investing in mutual funds has become the new rage among investors. There are countless new funds that are launched on a regular basis. A variety of funds, each focusing on short and long- term period are easily available. There are plentiful funds obtainable in the market that can find a perfect match to suit your risk.

A mutual fund is an investment, which is operated by an investment company that raises money from shareholders and invests it in stocks, bonds, options, commodities, or money market securities. These funds offer investors the advantages of diversification and professional management.

What are mutual funds?

A mutual fund is a group of stocks, bonds and other investments that are owned by a large number of investors and managed by a professional investment company. The investor buys the units of a particular fund and becomes a part of the mutual fund and participates in the loss and profits.

As a rule, Investors should read the mutual fund prospectus clearly before investing. The reason being, the prospectus clearly defines a fund’s investment objective, the investment style of the manager and the types of securities in which the fund will invest.

How does a Mutual Fund work?

When you invest in a mutual fund, you become the shareholder of the selected mutual fund. The fund manger takes the entire pool of money from all of the fund’s investors and invests it in a carefully selected range of investments based on specific goals and procedures that are outlined in the fund’s prospectus.

The fund’s value keeps fluctuating from day to day. The NAVs of the funds don’t remain constant. The value of a fund’s units i.e. NAVs are updated on a daily basis and are available on the AMC’s website.

Many factors like change in interest rates, economic trends influence the performance of a mutual fund. When you purchase units in a mutual fund, you agree to pay certain fees and expenses in the form of entry and exit load.