What are mutual funds? Explain the associated risks.

A mutual fund is an investment program funded by shareholders that trades in diversified holdings and is professionally managed.

Risks:

The level of risk in a mutual fund depends on what it invests in. Stocks are generally riskier than bonds, so an equity fund tends to be riskier than a fixed income fund. Plus some specialty mutual funds focus on certain kinds of investments, such as emerging markets, to try to earn a higher return. These kinds of funds also tend to have a greater risk of a larger drop in value—yet the greater the risk, the greater the reward (or potential for higher returns).

Risks of Investing in Equity Mutual Funds The below are a few key risks involved with investing in equity funds: Volatility Risk: An equity fund invests primarily in the shares of companies listed on stock exchanges. Thus, the value of an equity fund is directly related to the performance of companies, in stocks of which it has invested.

since the options are not listed, when you are working on your budget you should also add water, tv, internet, miscellaneous and your 'fun' money for in your budget. when budgeting, you need to allow for fun money, and mis/accidental money so that you stick to the budget and not go crazy because you feel strapped to the budget.