A mutual fund is set up and managed by an investment company which makes investments on behalf of individuals who have common financial goals (Growth, Income, etc.) . Mutual funds offer investors a simpler, more convenient, and less time-consuming method of investing in a portfolio of securities (like stocks and bonds) than trading them individually. Through mutual funds, investors can delegate investment decisions to the fund's professional money managers - decisions such as which securities to hold, when to buy, and when to sell. Also, investors in mutual funds can access a broader diversity of securities than they could investing on their own.