A no-load fund is a mutual fund in which shares are sold without a commission or sales charge.

For example, you can buy an index fund based on the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (S&P 500) of top American companies as either a mutual fund or an ETF.

There is never a wrong time to invest in mutual funds for retirement. So, if you're still looking for the best mutual funds, the Zacks Mutual Fund Rank can be a great guide. How can you tell a good ...

Investment minimums Investment minimums vary depending on the type of index fund. For example, mutual funds have investment minimums that can be a barrier for some investors.

"For example, the Vanguard 500 Index Fund is available in both ETF (ticker: VOO) and mutual fund (VFIAX) form," says Rodney Comegys, global head of Vanguard's equity indexing group.

Selling one mutual fund share class in order to buy another one can be costly though. For example, selling a mutual fund in a taxable account may realize capital gains which are taxable at ...

High-fee mutual funds may promise expertise, niche strategies, or “exclusive” access, but over time, they rarely outperform ...

Moving money to a less expensive money market fund may be ok, but beware when using fees to determine all your investment choices.

At first glance, it may appear that one additional fund will diversify and reduce risk. But beyond a certain point, too many ...

For example, unlike mutual funds they don’t have to disclose their managers, their experience, if they’ve joined or left the strategies recently, or if they invest in the portfolios.

Buried deep in your investment funds are costs known as expense ratios. If you understand what they are and how to minimize them, you can improve your investment performance dramatically.

For example, a technology mutual fund may invest only in telecommunications companies, while a charitable trust may decide to invest only in high-quality government and corporate bonds.