How Do I Buy Mutual Funds
You buy mutual funds using an investment account. You might already do this through your workplace 401(k), but you can also do so through an online broker or have a financial advisor work with you to help set up an account.
how do i buy mutual funds
Mutual funds are a type of investment that contain many other investments, including stocks and bonds. Mutual funds are favored by many investors because they allow you to purchase exposure to hundreds of securities with only one mutual fund share.
Fidelity's FundsNetwork allows you to invest in mutual funds from hundreds of fund companies outside of Fidelity, including many available with no transaction fees.3 Explore your financial options by searching through our world class library of funds.
Other fees and expenses, including those which apply to a continued investment in the fund, are described in the fund's current prospectus. Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC, or its affiliates, receives compensation in connection with (i) access to, purchase or redemption of, and/or maintenance of positions in mutual funds and other investment products ("funds"), (ii) infrastructure needed to support such funds as well as additional compensation for shareholder services, start-up fees, infrastructure support and maintenance, marketing, engagement and analytics programs and/or (iii) a fund's attendance at events for FBS's clients and/or representatives, and opportunities for the fund to promote its products and services. This compensation may take the form of sales loads and 12b-1 fees described in the prospectus and/or additional compensation paid by the fund, its investment adviser or an affiliate. Fidelity reserves the right to change the funds available without transaction fees and reinstate the fees on any funds. Fidelity will charge a short term trading fee each time you sell or exchange shares of FundsNetwork No Transaction Fee (NTF) funds held less than 60 days (short-term trade).
The most common ways to buy a mutual fund online are directly from a fund provider, through an investment company, or through an online brokerage."}},"@type": "Question","name": "How Do You Purchase a Mutual Fund?","acceptedAnswer": "@type": "Answer","text": "Once you have an account through an online brokerage or investment firm and that account is funded, you'll need to initiate an order and input key information such as the dollar amount of the investment and the ticker of the mutual fund. Mutual fund purchases are executed once per day after the market closes and it typically takes one to two additional days for the transaction to close.","@type": "Question","name": "What Should You Keep in Mind When Buying a Mutual Fund Online?","acceptedAnswer": "@type": "Answer","text": "There are a huge number of mutual funds available to investors. Not every online account and service will provide access to all of these funds, however. Before you initiate a purchase, be sure to consider the purpose of your investment and your goals. Assess your risk tolerance as compared with the level of risk inherent to the fund. Be sure to know what the fees and other costs may be, including if there are viable alternative funds that may be cheaper."]}]}] Investing Stocks Bonds Fixed Income Mutual Funds ETFs Options 401(k) Roth IRA Fundamental Analysis Technical Analysis Markets View All Simulator Login / Portfolio Trade Research My Games Leaderboard Economy Government Policy Monetary Policy Fiscal Policy View All Personal Finance Financial Literacy Retirement Budgeting Saving Taxes Home Ownership View All News Markets Companies Earnings Economy Crypto Personal Finance Government View All Reviews Best Online Brokers Best Life Insurance Companies Best CD Rates Best Savings Accounts Best Personal Loans Best Credit Repair Companies Best Mortgage Rates Best Auto Loan Rates Best Credit Cards View All Academy Investing for Beginners Trading for Beginners Become a Day Trader Technical Analysis All Investing Courses All Trading Courses View All TradeSearchSearchPlease fill out this field.SearchSearchPlease fill out this field.InvestingInvesting Stocks Bonds Fixed Income Mutual Funds ETFs Options 401(k) Roth IRA Fundamental Analysis Technical Analysis Markets View All SimulatorSimulator Login / Portfolio Trade Research My Games Leaderboard EconomyEconomy Government Policy Monetary Policy Fiscal Policy View All Personal FinancePersonal Finance Financial Literacy Retirement Budgeting Saving Taxes Home Ownership View All NewsNews Markets Companies Earnings Economy Crypto Personal Finance Government View All ReviewsReviews Best Online Brokers Best Life Insurance Companies Best CD Rates Best Savings Accounts Best Personal Loans Best Credit Repair Companies Best Mortgage Rates Best Auto Loan Rates Best Credit Cards View All AcademyAcademy Investing for Beginners Trading for Beginners Become a Day Trader Technical Analysis All Investing Courses All Trading Courses View All Financial Terms Newsletter About Us Follow Us Facebook Instagram LinkedIn TikTok Twitter YouTube InvestingGuide to Mutual FundsHow to Buy Mutual Funds OnlineByClaire Boyte-White Full Bio LinkedIn Claire Boyte-White is the lead writer for NapkinFinance.com, co-author of I Am Net Worthy, and an Investopedia contributor. Claire's expertise lies in corporate finance & accounting, mutual funds, retirement planning, and technical analysis.Learn about our editorial policiesUpdated October 30, 2022Reviewed byKhadija Khartit Reviewed byKhadija KhartitFull Bio LinkedIn Twitter Khadija Khartit is a strategy, investment, and funding expert, and an educator of fintech and strategic finance in top universities. She has been an investor, entrepreneur, and advisor for more than 25 years. She is a FINRA Series 7, 63, and 66 license holder.Learn about our Financial Review BoardFact checked by
Once you have an account through an online brokerage or investment firm and that account is funded, you'll need to initiate an order and input key information such as the dollar amount of the investment and the ticker of the mutual fund. Mutual fund purchases are executed once per day after the market closes and it typically takes one to two additional days for the transaction to close.
There are a huge number of mutual funds available to investors. Not every online account and service will provide access to all of these funds, however. Before you initiate a purchase, be sure to consider the purpose of your investment and your goals. Assess your risk tolerance as compared with the level of risk inherent to the fund. Be sure to know what the fees and other costs may be, including if there are viable alternative funds that may be cheaper.
Millions of Americans use mutual funds to help meet their investment and retirement goals, but you may not know exactly what they are or how to start investing in them. Like many financial products, they can be intimidating at first, but mutual funds are fairly simple to understand with a little help.
There are thousands of mutual funds that allow you to invest in a variety of ways. You can find funds that invest in a diversified group of large companies, small companies, specific geographies or even certain sectors of the economy.
Mutual funds are good options for both beginners and more experienced investors alike. Both types of investors will benefit from the diversification benefits of mutual funds, and experienced investors can find funds that target specific areas they think are poised for growth.
One of the biggest distinctions between different mutual funds is whether they pursue an active or passive investment strategy. The difference will determine how the fund invests and can ultimately have a big impact on the returns you earn as an investor.
Active funds are managed by professional investors with the goal of outperforming a market index, such as the S&P 500 index. For an active stock fund, the fund manager and a team of analysts will work to identify which stocks to own and in what quantities to achieve the best returns. Similarly, active bond funds will attempt to beat bond indices through superior management.
Passive funds may sound simple and even a little boring, but they have consistently beaten actively managed funds over long time periods. There will always be a few active funds that outperform their benchmark over short time periods, but very few will do so consistently over the long term.
Mutual funds make money by investing in securities on your behalf. The fund can only do as well as the underlying securities it holds. Income and appreciation are generally the two ways you can make money in securities.
*Vanguard average expense ratio: 0.06%. Industry average expense ratio: 0.20%. All averages are for index mutual funds and ETFs and are asset-weighted. Industry average excludes Vanguard. Sources: Vanguard and Morningstar, Inc., as of December 31, 2021.
All funds carry some level of risk. With mutual funds, you may lose some or all of the money you invest because the securities held by a fund can go down in value. Dividends or interest payments may also change as market conditions change.
As with any business, running a mutual fund involves costs. Funds pass along these costs to investors by charging fees and expenses. Fees and expenses vary from fund to fund. A fund with high costs must perform better than a low-cost fund to generate the same returns for you. 041b061a72