Top Questions

1. >Choosing the Best Index Funds

An index fund is a type of mutual fund whose performance is directly linked to that of an underlying stock of bond index. An index is a collection of securities (such as stocks and bonds) used to gauge the performance of an entire business sector, industry, segment of the market, and even country. Examples of popular indexes that are widely known include the Standard & Poor?s or S&P 500, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Moody?s Corporate Bond Index, and the Wilshire 5000 Index, one of the broadest measurements of stocks used in the stock market today. The purpose of the in...

2. >Commodities Index Funds

A commodities index fund is a type of mutual fund that is based on the performance of an underlying commodity or portfolio of commodities. A commodity, which is not classified as a security under the provisions of the federal Securities Act of 1933, are any material or natural resource that may be transformed into a consumer product or good. Examples of commodities include oil, sugar, oranges, cattle, hogs, gold, etc. Commodities are traded in a commodities market, which sets the price for these materials and resources. Transactions are made as a way for producers to lock in prices as we...