Mutual Fund
A mutual fund pools money from many investors to buy a diversified portfolio of stocks or bonds, managed as one. You own shares of the fund rather than the underlying holdings, and the price is set once a day after the market closes — the main difference from an ETF.
Index mutual funds track a market benchmark cheaply; actively managed funds try to beat it and charge more, usually without succeeding after fees. Mutual funds are the backbone of most 401(k) menus, so the expense ratios in yours matter a lot.
Put it to work
Investment Calculator
Project an investment portfolio's growth with monthly contributions — final value, your money vs market growth, and the year-by-year path.
Retirement Calculator
Project your retirement savings: what your balance could reach by retirement age and the monthly income it could sustainably provide.