Choosing between funds & individual securities | Vanguard (2024)

FAQs

Should I invest in mutual funds or individual securities? ›

All investments carry some degree of risk and can lose value if the overall market declines or, in the case of individual stocks, the company folds. Still, mutual funds are generally considered safer than stocks because they are inherently diversified, which helps mitigate the risk and volatility in your portfolio.

While mutual funds offer more diversification than individual stocks, most funds focus on companies that fit specific parameters, such as market cap, exposure to a certain sector or something else. So, you may still need some diversification after investing in a mutual fund.

A mutual fund provides diversification through exposure to a multitude of stocks. The reason that owning shares in a mutual fund is recommended over owning a single stock is that an individual stock carries more risk than a mutual fund. This type of risk is known as unsystematic risk.

Mutual funds let you pool your money with other investors to "mutually" buy stocks, bonds, and other investments. They're run by professional money managers who decide which securities to buy (stocks, bonds, etc.) and when to sell them. You get exposure to all the investments in the fund and any income they generate.

Mutual funds are typically more diversified, low-cost, and convenient than investing in individual securities, and they're professionally managed.

Mutual funds offer diversification or access to a wider variety of investments than an individual investor could afford to buy. There are economies of scale in investing with a group. Monthly contributions help the investor's assets grow. Funds are more liquid because they tend to be less volatile.

The risks are too great with individual stocks

“They often don't know how to do due diligence or research companies. So they're often going to pick stocks without the information they need to make good decisions.” Benz's original statement from June 2020 rings even truer in hindsight.

To help mitigate that risk, many investors invest in stocks through funds — such as index funds, mutual funds or ETFs — that hold a collection of stocks from a wide variety of companies. If you do opt for individual stocks, it's usually wise to allocate only 5% to 10% of your portfolio to them.

If you have enough money to invest, are willing to accept the risk and want a high degree of involvement, individual stocks may be a good choice.

Disadvantages include high fees, tax inefficiency, poor trade execution, and the potential for management abuses.

What is a drawback to purchasing mutual funds? ›

Potential Cons

Mutual funds have expenses, typically ranging between 0.50% to 1%, which pay for management and other costs to operate the fund. Some mutual funds have sales charges, or "loads," that investors pay when either buying or selling a mutual fund.

However, mutual funds are considered a bad investment when investors consider certain negative factors to be important, such as high expense ratios charged by the fund, various hidden front-end, and back-end load charges, lack of control over investment decisions, and diluted returns.

Instant diversification — Because you're investing in a basket of assets, you have instant diversification, and therefore lower risk, and don't need to buy multiple individual stocks to diversify your portfolio.

Buying stocks means you get to own a part of an individual company represented by that stock. This investment offers potentially higher returns if you invest in companies having strong growth potential. But this investment is also riskier than MFs as it carries higher volatility.

Mutual funds are investment vehicles that pool money from multiple investors to buy a diversified portfolio, while stocks represent ownership in a specific company and their value fluctuates based on the company's performance and market conditions.

While direct stock market investments offer control and the potential for higher returns, they come with increased risk and the need for diligent research. On the other hand, mutual funds provide professional management, diversification, and convenience, making them an attractive option for many investors.

Disadvantages include high fees, tax inefficiency, poor trade execution, and the potential for management abuses.

ETFs offer advantages over stocks in two situations. First, when the return from stocks in the sector has a narrow dispersion around the mean, an ETF might be the best choice. Second, if you are unable to gain an advantage through knowledge of the company, an ETF is your best choice.