Investment Education | Mutual Fund Basics

Mutual Fund Basics

Diversification helps protect the value of your overall portfolio against a serious downturn in a single security or market sector. The catch is that achieving a diversified portfolio can be expensive and time-consuming if you purchase investments individually. Investing in a mutual fund can help make the process easier and less expensive.

When you buy shares in a mutual fund, the fund's managers pool your assets with other investors' and use the cash to make large investments in a range of securities. Because the managers decide which securities to buy and when to make trades, you don't have to. And, because mutual funds make a wide range of investments, you can indirectly own dozens of securities at a fraction of the cost of purchasing them outright.

As with any investment, the costs and risks associated with mutual funds vary depending on the type of fund in which you're invested. The more information you're armed with, the better prepared you are to make informed investment decisions.

Diversification does not assure a profit, or protect against loss, in a down market.

Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of a mutual fund carefully before investing. A prospectus contains this and other information. A mutual fund prospectus is available through www.scottrade.com or through a Scottrade branch office. The prospectus should be read carefully before investing.

Bank Accounts, Making Deposits, Order Types, Trading Topics, Margin Account, Finding Your Next Trade, ScottradeELITE, Dividend Reinvesting

Featured

Education
Help & How To
Videos

Browse All Education >

The information and content provided in the Scottrade® Knowledge Center is for informational and/or educational purposes only. The information presented or discussed is not, and should not be considered, a recommendation or an offer of, or solicitation of an offer by, Scottrade or its affiliates to buy, sell or hold any security or other financial product or an endorsement or affirmation of any specific investment strategy. You are fully responsible for your investment decisions. Your choice to engage in a particular investment or investment strategy should be based solely on your own research and evaluation of the risks involved, your financial circumstances and your investment objectives. Scottrade, Inc. and its affiliates are not offering or providing, and will not offer or provide, any advice, opinion or recommendation of the suitability, value or profitability of any particular investment or investment strategy.

Call Us At (800) 619-7283
Email Customer Support
Log In and Trade
500+ Local Branches

Scottrade ranked the "Highest in Investor Satisfaction with Self-Directed Services."

Scottrade received the highest numerical score among self-directed investing service providers in the proprietary J.D. Power 2014 Self-Directed Investor Satisfaction Study^SM. Study based on responses from 3,764 investors measuring 10 providers and measures satisfaction of self-directed investors. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed in January-February 2014. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com

Authorized account login and access indicates customer’s consent to the Brokerage Account Agreement. Such consent is effective at all times when using this site.

Unauthorized access is prohibited.

Scottrade, Inc. and Scottrade Bank are separate but affiliated companies and are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Scottrade Financial Services, Inc. Brokerage products and services offered by Scottrade, Inc. - Member FINRA and SIPC. Deposit products and services offered by Scottrade Bank, Member FDIC.

Brokerage products are not insured by the FDIC – are not deposits or other obligations of the bank and are not guaranteed by the bank – are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal invested.

Online market and limit stock trades are just $7 for stocks priced $1 and above. Additional charges may apply for stocks priced under $1, mutual fund, and option transactions. Detailed information on our fees can be found in the Explanation of Fees (PDF).

You must have $500 in equity in an Individual, Joint, Trust, Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, or SEP IRA account with Scottrade to be eligible for a Scottrade Bank® account. In this instance, equity is defined as Total Brokerage Account Value minus Recent Brokerage Deposits on Hold.

The performance data quoted represents past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The research, tools, and information provided will not include every security available to the public. Although the sources of the research tools provided on this website are believed to be reliable, Scottrade makes no warranty with respect to the contents, accuracy, completeness, timeliness, suitability, or reliability of the information. Information on this website is for informational use only and should not be considered investment advice or recommendation to invest.

Scottrade does not charge setup, inactivity or annual maintenance fees. Applicable transaction fees still apply.

Scottrade does not provide tax advice. The material provided is for informational purposes only. Please consult your tax, or legal, advisor for questions concerning your personal tax or financial situation.

Select investments are commission free to those using Scottrade's online platforms. Other fees and charges may apply.

Any specific securities, or types of securities, used as examples are for demonstration purposes only. None of the information provided should be considered a recommendation or solicitation to invest in, or liquidate, a particular security or type of security.

Investors should consider the investment objectives, charges, expense, and unique risk profile of an Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) carefully before investing. A prospectus contains this and other information about the ETF and should be obtained from the issuer. The prospectus should be read carefully before investing.

Leveraged and Inverse ETFs may not be suitable for all investors and may increase exposure to volatility through the use of leverage, short sales of securities, derivatives and other complex investment strategies. These funds’ performance will likely be significantly different than their benchmark over periods of more than one day, and their performance over time may in fact trend opposite of their benchmark. Investors should monitor these holdings, consistent with their strategies, as frequently as daily.

Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and of a mutual fund carefully before investing. A mutual fund's prospectus contains this and other information about the mutual fund. Prospectuses may be ordered through Scottrade.com or through a Scottrade branch office. The prospectus should be read carefully before investing. No transaction fee (NTF) funds are subject to the terms and conditions of the NTF funds program. Scottrade is compensated by the funds participating in the NTF program through recordkeeping, shareholder, or SEC 12b-1 fees.

Margin trading involves interest charges and risks, including the potential to lose more than deposited or the need to deposit additional collateral in a falling market. The Margin Disclosure Statement and Agreement (PDF) is available for download, or it is available at one of our branch offices. It contains information on our lending policies, interest charges, and the risks associated with margin accounts.

Options involve risk and are not suitable for all investors. Detailed information on our policies and the risks associated with options can be found in the Scottrade Options Application and Agreement, Brokerage Account Agreement, and by downloading the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options and Supplements (PDF) from The Options Clearing Corporation, or by requesting a copy from a Scottrade branch office. Supporting documentation for any claims will be supplied upon request.

Market volatility, volume, and system availability may impact account access and trade execution.

Testimonials may not be representative of the experience of other clients and are no guarantee of future performance or success.

Keep in mind that while diversification may help spread risk it does not assure a profit, or protect against loss, in a down market.

Scottrade®, the Scottrade® logo, and all other trademarks, whether registered or unregistered, are the property of Scottrade, Inc. and its affiliates.

Hyperlinks to third party websites contain information that may be of interest or use to the reader. Third-party websites, research, and tools are from sources deemed reliable. Scottrade does not guarantee accuracy or completeness of the information and makes no assurances with respect to results to be obtained from their use.

© 2014 Scottrade, Inc. All rights reserved.