An index fund is a basket of investments — usually stocks or bonds — that tracks the performance of a specific sector or market. Because the investments in an index fund are picked for you, index ...

A broad-based index fund tracks a broad market index, such as the S&P 500. Index funds are considered passive investments and offer investors greater diversification and lower risk than individual ...

Indexes have changed a lot over the past century. What was once state-of-the-art is now antiquated. The first indexes used information that was available, not what was best for building a portfolio.

Low-cost index funds are a great way to invest in the market, giving you a diversified fund with low expenses. Index funds are passive funds that track an established index, making changes only when ...

A basic three-fund portfolio includes a US equity index fund, an international-equity index fund, and a total bond market index fund. It can be an exchange-traded fund portfolio or a traditional index ...

Beginner investors might wonder "what is a mutual fund?" Here, we answer that question and look at the pros and cons of ...

The three main differences between index funds and mutual funds are management style, investment objective and cost. Index funds tend to be the clear winner over the long term. Many, or all, of the ...

In Canada, the best index funds offer less volatility than stocks and lower fees than actively managed mutual funds. They can diversify your portfolio by spreading your money across numerous stocks ...

Are you on the hunt for a Index fund? You should think about starting with Vanguard Small-Cap Growth Index Fund (VISGX). The fund does not have a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank, though we have been able to ...