How do mutual funds work?

When you invest in a mutual fund, you’re buying shares of it based on the value of the fund’s assets at that time (its net asset value, or NAV). The fund’s NAV can move up or down daily depending on how the individual stocks, bonds or other securities in the fund are performing in the market. Knowing the mix of a fund’s assets helps determine how much market movement may impact the fund’s daily NAV.

For example, if a fund’s strategic goal is aggressive long-term growth, it may hold stock in companies that experience more day-to-day price fluctuations but have the potential for greater gains in value over time. When you hear the phrase “risk tolerance,” it refers to how much of this market volatility you’re willing to endure for the potential of a future benefit.

How do mutual funds generate returns?

Mutual fund returns can be distributed in two different ways:

• When the fund sells off some of its holdings at a profit, your share of the profit from that sale (minus the fund’s operating expenses) is paid to you. This is called a capital gain. Typically, these profits are distributed once a year.
• A dividend, on the other hand, is a scheduled distribution of earnings on securities in the fund's portfolio and is typically in the form of a cash payment.

You can take these capital gain and dividend payments as cash or reinvest them by purchasing additional shares of the fund. There may be tax ramifications associated with reinvestments and distributions, so you’ll want to consider your overall goals and tax preferences before making a decision about distributions.

If the NAV of your mutual fund shares increases from what you paid initially, you can sell your shares and take the profit (minus any sales charges, fees or taxes). The amount you paid is called the “cost basis,” and the difference between that and what you sold the shares for may be taxable. You can find out more about cost basis in the Thrivent Mutual Funds Tax Resource Center. 

How do mutual funds compare to other investments?

Mutual funds are one of many investments you may choose. So, how do they compare to some other popular investment options?

Savings accounts
These accounts are a vital part of day-to-day finances but may offer a lower return when compared to mutual funds. However, these accounts are typically insured by either the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). Mutual funds are not insured.

Stocks
Purchasing individual shares of stock can be expensive and risky since your investment is tied to a company’s financial health—good or bad—in addition to a potential host of other factors. A mutual fund allows you to include stocks as part of your investment mix, but to diversify them among different companies. In this way, a bad day for some stocks could be offset by a good day for others, giving you some protection from market fluctuations.

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs)
ETFs are often compared to mutual funds in that both are made up of assets like stocks, bonds and other securities, but there are important differences. Unlike mutual funds, ETFs trade like a stock and typically incur sales commission fees with every purchase. ETFs may have lower expenses than similar mutual funds because their operating expenses may be lower. Whereas ETF prices fluctuate throughout the day just like stocks, the price of a mutual fund does not vary since it is set at the end of each trading day.

Take a look at Thrivent mutual funds

Ultimately, choosing a mutual fund depends on your stage in life, financial goals and the level of risk you’re willing to take on in exchange for potential return. Thrivent’s investment team brings deep expertise and proprietary research to actively managing each fund. When you choose to invest in Thrivent mutual funds, you’ll benefit from the expertise of our investment professionals and the convenience and choices we provide to make investing easier. See also Mutual fund investing made easy.

¹ “Share of households owning mutual funds in the United States from 1980 to 2023.” Statista. June 18, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/246224/mutual-funds-owned-by-american-households/. July 2024.