What is Mutual funds investment ?
Mutual funds are one of the most popular investment options these days. A mutual fund is an investment vehicle formed when an asset management company (AMC) or fund house pools investments from several individuals and institutional investors with common investment objectives. A fund manager, who is a finance professional, manages the pooled investment. The fund manager purchases securities such as stocks and bonds that are in line with the investment mandate.
Mutual funds are an excellent investment option for individual investors to get exposure to an expert managed portfolio. Also, you can diversify your portfolio by investing in mutual funds as the asset allocation would cover several instruments. Investors would be allocated with fund units based on the amount they invest. Each investor would hence experience profits or losses that are directly proportional to the amount they invest. The main intention of the fund manager is to provide optimum returns to investors by investing in securities that are in sync with the fund’s objectives. The performance of mutual funds is dependent on the underlying assets.
Who Should Invest in Mutual Funds?
Everyone who has a particular financial goal, be it short-term or long-term, should consider investing in mutual funds. Investing in mutual funds is an excellent way to accomplish your goals faster. There are mutual fund plans that suit all personas. Investors need to assess their risk profile, investment horizon, and goals before getting started with their mutual fund investment. For example, if you are risk-averse and planning to purchase a car in five years, then you may consider investing in gilt funds. If you are ready to take some risk and are planning to buy a house in a period of fifteen to twenty years, then you may consider investing in equity funds. If your investment horizon is less than two years and you are looking to earn higher returns than a regular savings bank account, then you may consider parking your surplus funds in a liquid fund.
How to Invest at Every Age
Most people who plan for retirement are very interested in finding out how to invest. After all, how you save and invest in the decades before you leave your nine-to-five job impacts how you’ll spend your post-work years. It’s also important to know that the asset allocation strategy you use in your 20s and 30s won’t work when you’re close to (or in) retirement. Here’s how to invest at every age to reach your retirement goals.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Investing for retirement is important at any age, but the same strategy should not be used for every stage of your life.
- Those who are younger can tolerate more risk, but they often have less income to invest in.
- Those who near retirement may have more money to invest, but less time to recover from any losses.
- Asset allocation by age plays an important role in building a sound retirement investing strategy.
Asset Allocation by Age
Asset allocation through life’s various stages. Of course, these are general recommendations that can’t take into consideration your specific circumstances or risk profile. Some investors are comfortable with a more aggressive investment approach, while others value stability above all else—or have life situations that call for extra caution, such as a child with disabilities.
A trusted financial advisor can help you figure out your risk profile. Alternatively, many online brokers have risk profile “calculators” and questionnaires that can determine if your investing style is conservative or aggressive—or somewhere in between.
At any age, you should first gather at least six to 12 months’ worth of living expenses in a readily accessible place, such as a savings account, money market account, or liquid CD.