An exit fee for selling a mutual fund. 

Mutual funds that combine investments in common stock, bonds, and preferred stock. Many balanced funds also invest in convertible securities as well. They try to provide income plus some capital appreciation. 

Mutual funds that specialize in bond investments and interest income. 

A closed-end investment fund has a fixed number of shares, and purchasers and sellers of shares must deal directly with each other rather than with the fund. Closed-end funds trade on an exchange or over-the-counter. 

The investor buys a fixed dollar's worth of a given security at regular intervals regardless of the security's price or the current market outlook. This provides a certain degree of discipline and also means more shares will be purchased at low prices rather than high prices since the amount of the regular investment is fixed and only the number of shares purchased varies. 

The American Stock Exchange created exchange-traded funds that are similar to index mutual funds. Their structure is different than mutual funds but they allow an investor to buy an index such as the Standard and Poor's 500 on the AMEX just the same as buying common stock. 

Mutual funds that specialize in foreign markets and foreign securities. 

Mutual funds with the primary objective of capital appreciation. 

Growth with income funds 

A fund investing in a portfolio of corporate stocks, the composition of which is determined by the Standard & Poor's 500 Index or some other index. 

A mutual fund that charges a commission. 

The commission or load is only 2 to 3 percent instead of the normal 7.25 percent. 

A type of mutual fund that invests in short-term government securities, commercial paper, and repurchase agreements. Most offer check-writing privileges.

The net asset value (NAV) represents the current value of an investment fund. It is computed by taking the total value of the securities, subtracting out the liabilities, and dividing by the shares outstanding. 

An open-end investment fund stands ready at all times to sell or redeem shares from stockholders. There is no limit to the number of shares. Technically, a mutual fund is considered to be an open-end investment fund. Also see closed-end fund. 

A document that must accompany a new issue of securities. It contains the same information appearing in the registration statement, such as a list of directors and officers, financial reports certified by a CPA, the underwriters, the purpose and use for the funds, and other reasonable information that investors need to know. 

Mutual funds that specialize in a given segment of the economy such as energy, medical technology, computer technology, and so forth. While they may offer the potential for high returns, they are clearly less diversified and more risky than a typical mutual fund. 

Mutual funds that have special purposes that do not neatly fit into another category. Examples include the Phoenix Fund, the Calvert Social Investment Fund, and the United States Gold Shares. 

These are formed by investment companies with the intention of acquiring a portfolio of fixed income to be passively managed over a fixed period. The trust is then terminated.