After a rollicking first quarter with the S&P 500 rocketing more than 7%, the time after March has been a confluence of things. As a whole, the market had gotten exceptionally overpriced, dulling buying spirits. Currently, ETFs (exchange-traded funds) seem a much better investment than stocks right now, because of their sheer diversity which will mitigate losses, on the whole, minimizing damages caused by plummets in individual equities.

Mutual funds are investment opportunities wherein money from thousands of people is pooled together and managed by a group of professionals. Herein, we list the 10 best mutual funds that you should consider investing in. Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund (VMFXX) This mutual fund is for you if all you look for is stability and long-term profits.

A dividend is a payment every single quarter made by the company to its shareholders. You can change the dividend payout rate if you are a major shareholder and have the dividend payout twice, thrice, or even our times a year. However, basically, dividends are paid every four months. However, the typical way a company pays out the dividend is in cash or shareholders can get them in stock bonuses or more shares.

Investing in the stock market can be rewarding and can be a quite a gamble at the same time, provided you have done your research. There are a number of things you should take into account before outing up that investment. Investing in stock is not just the only option for you, it’s one of the options amongst many other ways to consolidate your funds.

Looking to invest your funds in a way that combines security and good returns? Then CDs meet your investment criteria. A CD (Certificate of Deposit) is a savings certificate that has a fixed rate of interest, maturing on a fixed date. Generally issued by commercial banks, they are insured by FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) up to $250,000 per individual.

An investment firm’s goal is to increase the value of the investor’s capital assets, generate additional income through dividends, or do both. Investment firms typically offer services like portfolio management, recording, legal, accounting, and tax management. Their main tasks are to assess the client’s goals, assess risk, design investment strategies and monitor the growth of the investment.

The economy is more volatile and investors need to be cautious. There are bound to be under-performers and over-performers. The following are promising mutual funds that you can invest in this year. Vanguard 500 Index Fund: A broad index fund, this has a low expense ratio of 0.16 and requires a minimum investment of $3000.

Planning for retirement doesn’t have to be a chore, in fact, it can be made downright easy. With a good investment firm, a business jargon won’t be a hassle anymore. If you are new to the world of investments, and looking for options that can help you secure and save money for the future, then you must take a good look at these 3 investment firms.