Advantages of Mutual Funds - Besides convenience, there are lots of advantages to investing in mutual funds. This tutorial explores what some of these are. It discusses diversification, professional management, and ease of investing as some of the main reasons people invest in mutual funds.

Earnings From Mutual Funds - This article identifies the many kinds of earnings investors receive from mutual funds. It covers dividends, capital gains, and total return. A short look at return of capital, which is not an earning, is included. Finally, the tutorial covers a question many ask--Do I keep my dividends, or do I reinvest them?

Introduction to Mutual Funds - This tutorial is an overview of the basic characteristics of mutual funds. Find out how to buy and sell mutual fund shares, learn what fees are typically charged by mutual funds, and understand how investors earn income from a mutual fund. This tutorial also identifies and explains the most common types of mutual funds, including open and closed-end (exchange traded) funds, stock, bond, money market, and hybrid mutual funds.

Monitoring Mutual Funds - In order to make sure the money you invest in mutual funds is being invested wisely, you will need to know what things to look for to measure its performance. This tutorial gives you the tools and formulas you need to evaluate your fund's risk, price fluctuations, and returns. It includes risk measurements, performance measurements, and the calculation of total return.

Types of Mutual Funds - Mutual funds can be classified by their investment objectives or by the types of assets they invest in. Objective-based funds have specific investment goals, such as investing for future growth (growth funds), providing investors with current income (income funds) or both (balanced funds). Funds can also be categorized by the market they invest in, such as stocks, bonds, money markets, or market indexes.