Investment Vehicle Flashcards

What is a key advantage of mutual funds?

Answer: They provide diversification.

Mutual funds pool money from many investors to invest in a diversified portfolio of stocks, bonds, or other securities. This inherent diversification spreads risk across numerous assets, reducing the impact of any single investment's poor performance. This makes them a popular choice for investors seeking broad market exposure without having to select individual securities.

What distinguishes ETFs from mutual funds?

Answer: ETFs can be traded during market hours.

A key distinction between ETFs and mutual funds is their trading mechanism. ETFs trade on stock exchanges throughout the day, allowing investors to buy and sell shares at market prices during trading hours, similar to individual stocks. Mutual funds, however, are typically bought and sold directly from the fund company at their net asset value (NAV) calculated once at the end of each trading day.

Which of the following is a feature of closed-end funds?

Answer: They trade on exchanges with fixed share counts.

Closed-end funds issue a fixed number of shares through an initial public offering (IPO), and these shares then trade on stock exchanges like regular stocks. Unlike mutual funds, they do not continuously issue or redeem shares, meaning their market price can deviate from their net asset value (NAV) based on supply and demand.

What is a key risk of investing in individual stocks?

Answer: Greater volatility due to company-specific risk.

Investing in individual stocks exposes an investor to significant company-specific risk, also known as unsystematic risk. The performance of a single company's stock can be highly volatile and heavily impacted by its specific business decisions, industry trends, or unforeseen events. Diversification across multiple stocks or funds helps mitigate this risk.

Which investment vehicle typically offers tax advantages for retirement savings?

Answer: Individual Retirement Account (IRA)

Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), such as Traditional or Roth IRAs, are specifically designed to encourage retirement savings by offering significant tax advantages. These can include tax-deductible contributions, tax-deferred growth, or tax-free withdrawals in retirement, depending on the IRA type. Other options like CDs or savings accounts do not offer these specific retirement tax benefits.

What is the main characteristic of a money market fund?

Answer: Focuses on short-term, low-risk securities.

Money market funds are a type of mutual fund that invests in highly liquid, short-term debt instruments like Treasury bills, commercial paper, and certificates of deposit. Their primary goal is to provide safety of principal and liquidity, making them a low-risk investment option, though returns are typically modest. They are not backed by the FDIC.

What is a key difference between common and preferred stock?

Answer: Preferred stock has fixed dividends and priority claims.

Preferred stock typically pays fixed dividends, similar to bonds, and these dividends must be paid before common stock dividends. In the event of liquidation, preferred stockholders also have a higher claim on the company's assets than common stockholders. Common stock, conversely, usually carries voting rights and variable dividends, but has a junior claim on assets.

Which vehicle allows for pooling investor funds and active management?

Answer: Mutual fund

A mutual fund is an investment vehicle that pools money from multiple investors to purchase a diversified portfolio of securities, such as stocks, bonds, or other assets. These funds are managed by professional fund managers who actively select and manage the investments according to the fund's stated objectives. This allows individual investors to gain diversification and professional management with relatively small investments.

Which of the following is true about index funds?

Answer: They replicate index performance and have lower fees.

Index funds are a type of mutual fund or ETF designed to passively track the performance of a specific market index, such as the S&P 500. Instead of active management trying to beat the market, they simply hold the same securities in the same proportions as the index. This passive strategy typically results in lower management fees compared to actively managed funds.