Publicatiedatum: June 10, 2024

Investment funds can be an interesting option for growing your money. Read more about what mutual funds are and how they work.

What are investment funds?

Investment funds are financial products where you can invest money by pooling it with that of other investors. The goal is to collectively invest in a diversified portfolio of securities, such as stocks, bonds, or other financial assets. These funds are managed by professional fund managers.

How do investment funds work?

Fund managers carefully select a diverse portfolio of securities, such as stocks and bonds, to meet the fund's investment objectives. By investing in investment funds, you can benefit from the expertise of professional managers while spreading your risks. This makes investment funds a convenient way to diversify your portfolio and access different markets and assets without taking on the responsibility yourself. In addition, investment funds often offer liquidity, making it easy to get in and out. However, it is important to carefully consider a fund's costs, goals, and risks before investing.

What investment funds are there? 

Now that you know what mutual funds are and how they work, it's important to know what mutual funds there are. In the overview below, you can see the different types of funds. This way you can compare the different mutual funds yourself. 

- Stock funds: These funds invest mainly in stocks or shares of companies. They can be divided into subcategories such as growth funds (investing in fast-growing companies), value funds (investing in undervalued companies), and sector funds (investing in a specific sector, such as technology or health care).

- Bond funds: Bond funds invest primarily in bonds or debt securities. They can include different types of bonds, such as government bonds, corporate bonds, high-yield bonds, and short-term bonds.

- Mixed funds: Mixed funds are also known as balanced funds. They combine both stocks and bonds in one portfolio. The ratio of stocks to bonds can vary depending on the fund's risk profile.

- Sustainable investment funds: These funds invest in companies that meet environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria.

- Hedge funds: Hedge funds seek absolute returns and tend to have more flexibility in their investment strategies. They can take short positions, use leverage, and invest in different asset classes.