How to invest in a mutual fund. A 2025 beginners' guide
- New to mutual funds? This step-by-step guide shows how to pick the right funds, open the best account, place your first order, and reinvest dividends, while avoiding costly mistakes like high fees and chasing performance.
- Read it in 15–20 minutes; use it for decades.
18 Min read | Invest
How to Invest in a Mutual Fund: A Complete Guide for American Investors
You want to invest in mutual funds, but you're not sure where to start. Good news: you're about to learn exactly how to invest in a mutual fund, step by step.
Mutual funds represent one of America's most accessible and proven investment vehicles. As of 2025, over 53.7% of U.S. households, approximately 121.6 million individual investors, own mutual funds, according to the Investment Company Institute. That's more than half of all American families using these investments to build wealth.
This comprehensive guide walks you through the entire process of mutual fund investing, from the steps you need to take in order to make your first investment to strategies of managing your portfolio long-term.
This guide takes about 15-20 minutes to read, but the knowledge you gain could be worth tens of thousands of dollars over your investing lifetime. Whether you're a complete beginner or someone with some investment experience looking to fill knowledge gaps, you'll find actionable information here.
What You'll Need Before You Start
A clear financial goal with a specific timeline: retirement in 25 years, a home down payment in 5 years, your child's college education in 15 years. Your timeline determines which types of funds make sense for you.
An emergency fund covering 3-6 months of expenses already established. You shouldn't invest money you might need in the next few years for emergencies.
High-interest debt paid off or under control. Credit card balances charging 18-25% APR will drain your finances faster than any investment can grow them.
Basic understanding of your risk tolerance and investment timeline. Can you stomach seeing your investment drop 20% in a bad year if it means higher long-term returns? Your honest answer matters.
Social Security number and government-issued ID for account opening. Brokerages are required by law to verify your identity.
Bank account information for funding transfers. You'll link your checking or savings account to move money into your investment account.
Initial investment amount ready to invest. Minimums range from $0 to $3,000 depending on the fund, with many around $500-$1,000. Some brokerages offer funds with no minimums at all.
Decision about account type: taxable brokerage account or tax-advantaged retirement account like a 401(k) or IRA. This choice affects your taxes and when you can access the money.
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Step-by-Step: How to Invest in a Mutual Fund
Investing in a mutual fund involves a straightforward process that can be completed in a few hours to a few days, depending on account setup time. Following these steps in order ensures you make informed decisions and set up your investment for long-term success.
Determine Your Investment Goals and Time Horizon
Before you invest a single dollar, you must identify specific financial goals with clear timelines. Are you saving for retirement in 30 years? A home down payment in 5 years? Your child's education in 15 years?
Your timeline determines which types of mutual funds are appropriate. Goals 10+ years away can handle more stock exposure, which historically provides higher returns but with more short-term volatility. Goals under 5 years need conservative bond funds or money market funds that protect your principal.
For example, if you're 35 and saving for retirement at 65, you have a 30-year timeline. You can invest heavily in stock mutual funds because you have decades to ride out market downturns. But if you're saving for a house down payment in 3 years, you need stable bond funds or high-yield savings accounts because you can't afford a 20% drop right before you need the money.
Write down your specific goal, the dollar amount you need, and when you need it. This becomes your investment roadmap.
Decide Between Active and Passive Funds
This is one of the most important decisions you'll make. You're choosing between actively managed funds and passive index funds.
Actively managed funds employ professional managers who research stocks and bonds, trying to beat the market. They charge higher fees, typically 0.60% to 1.50% annually, to pay for this expertise and research.
Passive index funds simply match a market index like the S&P 500. They charge dramatically lower fees, typically 0.06% to 0.20% annually, because there's no expensive research team.
Here's the critical fact: according to the S&P Dow Jones Indices SPIVA Scorecard, only 10.5% of active large-cap funds beat the S&P 500 over 15 years. That means 89.5% of professional managers fail to justify their higher fees.
For most investors, passive index funds are the better choice. You get market returns with minimal fee drag, and you avoid the risk of picking one of the 90% of active funds that underperform.
Choose Your Investment Platform
You have four main options for where to invest in mutual funds:
Direct from fund companies like Vanguard, Fidelity, or T. Rowe Price. This works well if you want to stay within one fund family. You typically pay no transaction fees for their funds, and minimums are often reasonable. The downside is limited selection if you want funds from other companies.
Online brokerages like TradeStation, eToro, Charles Schwab, ETRADE, Fidelity (as a brokerage), or Interactive Brokers. This is the best option for most individual investors because you can access thousands of no-transaction-fee funds from multiple fund families in one place. You get broad selection, low costs, and excellent research tools.
Through a financial advisor. This costs more (advisors typically charge 0.50% to 1.50% of assets annually) but provides personalized guidance for complex situations. Consider this if you have a complicated financial situation or simply want professional help.
Your employer's 401(k) plan. Selection is limited to whatever funds your employer offers, but this option often includes employer matching, free money you should never leave on the table. Always contribute enough to capture the full employer match before investing elsewhere.
For most people investing outside a 401(k), an online brokerage offers the best combination of selection, cost, and convenience.
Research and Select Specific Funds
Now comes the fun part: choosing your actual funds. Use screening tools on your chosen platform to filter by several criteria.
Start with investment objective. Are you looking for large-cap growth stocks? International stocks? Bonds? Target-date funds that do everything for you? Match the fund type to your goals and timeline.
Look at expense ratios:
- For stock index funds, look for ratios below 0.20%.
- For bond index funds, below 0.10%.
- For actively managed funds, be very skeptical of anything over 0.60% unless there's compelling evidence of consistent outperformance.
Check minimum investment requirements. Make sure you can meet them, or look for funds with lower minimums.
Review historical performance versus benchmarks over 10+ years. Don't just look at absolute returns, see if the fund beat its relevant benchmark (like the S&P 500 for large-cap stock funds) after fees.
Read the fund prospectus or summary prospectus. This document explains the fund's objectives, risks, fees, and strategy in plain English. It takes 15 minutes and prevents nasty surprises.
For beginners, we strongly recommend target-date funds that match your retirement year. A Target Date 2055 Fund is designed for someone retiring around 2055. These funds provide complete diversification across U.S. stocks, international stocks, and bonds, and they automatically rebalance and become more conservative as you approach retirement. It's professional management in one simple fund.
Open Your Investment Account
The account opening process is straightforward and takes 15-30 minutes online. You'll provide personal information including your name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, and employment information.
Choose your account type carefully because it affects taxes:
- A taxable brokerage account gives you complete flexibility to withdraw money anytime, but you'll pay taxes on dividends and capital gains annually.
- A Traditional IRA gives you a tax deduction now, tax-deferred growth, but you'll pay ordinary income taxes on withdrawals in retirement.
- A Roth IRA provides no upfront deduction but tax-free growth and withdrawals in retirement.
For most people saving for retirement, maxing out 401(k) contributions to capture employer matching, then contributing to a Roth IRA (if eligible), then going back to increase 401(k) contributions provides the best tax optimization.
Link your bank account for transfers. You'll provide your routing number and account number, which you can find on a check or by logging into your bank account.
Complete identity verification. The brokerage may ask security questions based on your credit report or request a photo of your driver's license. This is required by federal law to prevent fraud and money laundering.
Accounts are typically approved within 1-2 business days, though some are instant.
Fund Your Account
Transfer money from your bank account to your new investment account. You have several options.
ACH transfer is the most common method. It's free and typically takes 1-3 business days. You initiate this from your brokerage account by selecting your linked bank account and entering the transfer amount.
Wire transfer arrives the same day but usually costs $15-30. Only use this if you need immediate access to funds for a time-sensitive investment opportunity.
Check deposit works but is slow, expect 5-7 business days for the check to clear.
Make sure you transfer enough to meet any minimum investment requirements for your chosen fund. If a fund requires a $1,000 minimum and you only transfer $500, you won't be able to invest until you add more money.
Many investors set up automatic recurring transfers, say, $500 on the 1st of every month, to build their investment systematically without having to remember to transfer money manually.
Place Your Mutual Fund Order
Once your money arrives in your account, you're ready to invest. Search for your chosen fund by its ticker symbol or name. Every mutual fund has a unique ticker symbol, usually 5 letters ending in X (like VFIAX for Vanguard's S&P 500 Index Fund).
Enter the dollar amount you want to invest or the number of shares you want to buy. Review your order carefully. Check that you've selected the correct fund, entered the right amount, and chosen the right account if you have multiple accounts.
Submit your order. Here's a critical difference between mutual funds and stocks: mutual fund orders execute once per day after markets close at 4:00 PM Eastern Time. You'll receive that day's closing NAV (Net Asset Value) price, regardless of what time during the day you placed your order.
If you place an order after 4:00 PM ET, it executes the next business day at the next day's closing NAV.
You'll receive confirmation once the trade settles, typically the next business day. Your account will show your new fund holdings, the number of shares you own, and the current value.
Enable Dividend Reinvestment
Most mutual funds distribute dividends and capital gains to shareholders, typically quarterly or annually. You have two choices: receive these distributions as cash or automatically reinvest them to purchase additional fund shares.
Always choose automatic reinvestment, called a DRIP (Dividend Reinvestment Plan). Here's why: reinvested dividends purchase additional shares, which generate their own dividends, which purchase more shares. This compound growth accelerates your wealth building dramatically.
According to Vanguard's research, reinvested dividends have accounted for approximately 40% of the S&P 500's total return over the past 90 years. That's enormous.
One important note: reinvested dividends are still taxable in taxable brokerage accounts. You'll receive a 1099-DIV form showing your dividend income, and you'll owe taxes on it even though you didn't receive cash. However, reinvested dividends increase your cost basis, which reduces your capital gains taxes when you eventually sell.
In tax-advantaged retirement accounts like 401(k)s and IRAs, reinvested dividends grow tax-deferred or tax-free, making reinvestment even more powerful.
Most brokerages enable dividend reinvestment by default, but check your account settings to confirm.
Common Mutual Fund Investment Mistakes That Cost Thousands
Even experienced investors make predictable mistakes that significantly impair long-term returns. Understanding these pitfalls before you invest helps you avoid costly errors that can cost tens of thousands of dollars over a 20-30 year investment horizon.
Most mistakes stem from emotional decision-making, inadequate research, or misunderstanding how fees compound over time. A seemingly small mistake, like paying 0.75% extra in fees or panic-selling during a market downturn, compounds into massive lost wealth over decades.
The good news? These mistakes are completely avoidable once you know what to watch for. The following list covers the most damaging mistakes that trip up mutual fund investors, along with how to avoid them.
Chasing Past Performance
Investors consistently buy funds after they've delivered exceptional returns, precisely when mean reversion makes future outperformance unlikely.
A fund that returned 30% last year often attracted that performance through concentrated bets or favorable market conditions that won't repeat.
Studies from Morningstar and Vanguard show that funds with the best performance in one period frequently underperform in subsequent periods.
That's why SEC even requires funds to state that "past performance does not guarantee future results."
Instead of chasing last year's winners, choose funds based on investment strategy, expense ratios, and consistency across multiple market cycles. A boring fund that consistently delivers market returns with low fees beats a flashy fund that had one great year.
Paying Excessive Fees Without Justification
Many investors don't realize how dramatically fees compound over time. But here's the math: a fund charging 0.75% versus 0.10% annually can cost over $40,000 on a $50,000 investment over 30 years, assuming 7% annual returns. That's $40,000 that should be compounding in your account, not paying fund company salaries.
The data is clear: most actively managed funds charging 0.60% or more fail to beat their benchmarks after fees. So, unless you have compelling evidence that a specific active fund will outperform net of fees, low-cost index funds are the smarter default choice.
Look for expense ratios below 0.20% for stock funds and below 0.10% for bond funds.
Investing Without Clear Goals
Without specific objectives and timelines, you can't determine appropriate asset allocation or evaluate whether you're on track. This leads to emotional decisions during market downturns.
An investor without clear goals might panic and sell during a 20% market drop, locking in losses. An investor with a clear 25-year retirement goal knows that short-term volatility is irrelevant and stays invested.
Define your goals, the dollar amount needed, and the timeline. This determines whether you need aggressive growth funds, balanced funds, or conservative bond funds.
Buying Funds Right Before Distribution Dates
This is a tax trap that catches uninformed investors. Mutual funds distribute capital gains and dividends annually, typically in December.
If you purchase shares immediately before the distribution date, you'll receive a taxable distribution for gains that accumulated all year, even though you only owned the fund for a few days. You're essentially paying taxes on someone else's gains.
For example, if you invest $10,000 on December 15 and the fund distributes $500 per share in capital gains on December 20, you'll owe taxes on that $500 despite having owned the fund for five days.
Check distribution schedules before making large purchases in taxable accounts, especially in November and December.
Inadequate Diversification
Concentrating too heavily in one fund type, sector, or geographic region creates unnecessary risk. An investor who puts everything in U.S. technology stocks might see spectacular returns during tech booms but devastating losses during tech busts.
Proper diversification across U.S. stocks, international stocks, bonds, and potentially other assets like real estate protects against concentrated losses.
If one asset class struggles, others may perform well, smoothing your overall returns. A simple three-fund portfolio, with U.S. stock index, international stock index, and bond index provides excellent diversification.
Trying to Time the Market
Attempting to predict market highs and lows typically results in buying high when markets feel safe and everyone is optimistic, and selling low when markets feel scary and everyone is pessimistic. This is the opposite of successful investing.
Research from Dalbar consistently shows that the average investor significantly underperforms market indices because of poor timing decisions.
The S&P 500 might return 9.9% annually, but the average investor returns 5.5% because they move in and out at the wrong times.
Missing just the 10 best days in the market over 30 years reduces returns by more than half. Since no one can predict which days will be the best, staying invested is crucial.
Expert Tips for Mutual Fund Investing Success
Successful long-term mutual fund investing depends less on brilliant stock-picking than on disciplined adherence to proven principles. The strategies that build wealth aren't complicated or secret, they're straightforward practices that anyone can implement.
The following tips come from decades of research and the practices of successful investors who have built substantial wealth through mutual funds. These aren't get-rich-quick schemes or market-timing tricks. They're the boring, reliable strategies that actually work over 20, 30, and 40-year time horizons.
Prioritize Low-Cost Index Funds for Core Holdings
Build your portfolio around broad market index funds charging under 0.20% annually.
These funds deliver market returns with minimal fee drag, and since most active managers fail to beat the market over long periods, you're virtually guaranteed to outperform most investors simply by keeping costs low.
Vanguard, Fidelity, and Charles Schwab offer excellent low-cost index funds covering U.S. stocks (S&P 500 or Total Stock Market), international stocks (Total International or EAFE), and bonds (Total Bond Market).
A simple portfolio of three index funds from these families provides complete global diversification at rock-bottom costs.
Maximize Tax-Advantaged Accounts First
Contributing to 401(k)s and IRAs before taxable brokerage accounts provides immediate tax benefits and eliminates annual taxes on dividends and capital gains, dramatically improving compound growth.
A Traditional 401(k) reduces your current taxable income - if you're in the 22% tax bracket and contribute $10,000, you save $2,200 in taxes immediately. That money grows tax-deferred until retirement.
A Roth IRA provides no upfront deduction but offers tax-free growth and withdrawals in retirement, you'll never pay taxes on decades of investment gains.
Implement Dollar-Cost Averaging Through Automatic Investments
Investing fixed amounts monthly or bi-weekly removes emotion from investing, ensures consistent contributions regardless of market conditions, and automatically buys more shares when prices are low.
Set up automatic transfers from your checking account to your investment account, and automatic investments from your investment account into your chosen funds.
This turns investing into a background process that happens whether you're paying attention or not. You're not trying to time the market or waiting for the perfect moment. This is how middle-class Americans build six and seven-figure portfolios. Not through brilliant market calls, but through consistent contributions over decades.
Consider Target-Date Funds for Simplicity
Target-date funds matching your retirement year provide complete diversification, professional management, and automatic risk reduction as retirement approaches. They're ideal for investors who prefer a set-it-and-forget-it approach.
A Target Date 2050 Fund is designed for someone retiring around 2050. It holds a diversified mix of U.S. stocks, international stocks, and bonds, automatically becoming more conservative as 2050 approaches. You get professional asset allocation, rebalancing, and risk management in one fund.
Vanguard, Fidelity, and T. Rowe Price offer excellent low-cost target-date funds. For many investors, putting 100% of retirement savings into a single target-date fund is a perfectly sound strategy that requires almost no ongoing maintenance.
Hold Tax-Inefficient Funds in Retirement Accounts
Place actively managed funds and bond funds in IRAs and 401(k)s, while holding tax-efficient index funds in taxable accounts. This minimizes your annual tax bills.
Actively managed funds generate significant taxable distributions from frequent trading. Bond funds distribute ordinary income taxed at your full marginal rate (up to 37%). These belong in tax-advantaged accounts where distributions don't trigger annual taxes.
Tax-efficient index funds with minimal turnover and qualified dividends (taxed at 0-20%) work better in taxable accounts.
This strategy, called asset location (different from asset allocation), can add 0.00-0.30% to annual after-tax returns over a career. That compounds into tens of thousands of additional dollars.
Review Fund Holdings and Performance Annually
Conduct an annual review of fund prospectuses, shareholder reports, and performance versus benchmarks to ensure funds still align with your goals and haven't experienced manager changes or strategy drift.
Set a calendar reminder for the same date each year - many investors do this in January or when they prepare taxes:
- Check that your funds are performing reasonably compared to their benchmarks. A fund consistently underperforming its benchmark by 2-3% annually for three years might warrant replacement.
- Look for significant changes in management or strategy that could affect future performance.
- Verify that expense ratios haven't increased.
This annual checkup takes an hour but ensures you're not holding funds that have deteriorated in quality.
Stay the Course During Market Volatility
Market downturns are inevitable and temporary. Investors who maintain discipline during volatility capture the full long-term returns, while those who panic-sell lock in losses and miss recoveries.
Historical data shows the U.S. stock market has always recovered from downturns given sufficient time. The 2008 financial crisis saw the S&P 500 drop 57%, but investors who stayed invested recovered fully by 2013 and have seen substantial gains since.
Those who sold near the bottom locked in devastating losses and many never reinvested.
During your investing career, you'll experience multiple 20%+ corrections and probably at least one 40%+ bear market. This is normal. If you have a 10+ year timeline, these downturns are buying opportunities, not reasons to sell. Keep making your automatic contributions and stay invested.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mutual Fund Investing
How much money do I need to start investing in mutual funds?
Investment minimums vary widely from $0 to $3,000, depending on the fund and brokerage. Many popular funds have minimums around $500-$1,000, but several brokerages now offer funds with no minimums at all.
Fidelity and Charles Schwab both offer index funds with $0 minimums, making it possible to start investing with any amount. Vanguard's index funds typically require $1,000 to $3,000 for initial investments, but their target-date funds start at $1,000.
Once you meet the minimum for your initial investment, you can typically add any amount afterward; many funds allow additional contributions of just $50 or $100.
How often should I check my mutual fund investments?
Review your holdings quarterly or annually to ensure alignment with your goals, but avoid checking daily or weekly as this encourages emotional reactions to normal volatility.
Annual reviews coinciding with rebalancing and tax planning typically suffice for most investors. Set a calendar reminder for the same date each year. Many people do this in January or when preparing taxes.
During your annual review, check that your asset allocation hasn't drifted significantly from your targets, verify your funds are performing reasonably compared to their benchmarks, look for any significant changes in fund management or strategy, and confirm you're on track to meet your financial goals.
Quarterly reviews work well if you're actively contributing and want to monitor progress more frequently, but they're not necessary for most long-term investors.
Should I invest in multiple mutual funds or just one?
It depends on the fund type. A single target-date fund provides complete diversification across asset classes and requires no additional funds. Otherwise, most investors benefit from 3-6 funds covering different asset classes.
Target-date funds are designed to be complete portfolios in a single fund. A Target Date 2055 Fund holds U.S. stocks, international stocks, and bonds in appropriate proportions for someone retiring around 2055. If you're using a target-date fund, you don't need anything else. Adding other funds just creates overlap and complicates your portfolio unnecessarily.
If you're building your own portfolio from individual funds, a simple three-fund portfolio provides excellent diversification: a U.S. stock index fund (60-70% of your portfolio), an international stock index fund (20-30%), and a bond index fund (10-30%, depending on your age and risk tolerance). This covers the entire global stock and bond markets.
Start Building Your Wealth Through Mutual Fund Investing
Mutual fund investing represents one of the most proven and accessible paths to building long-term wealth for American investors. With over 53% of U.S. households successfully using mutual funds to pursue financial goals like retirement, education, and major purchases, you're joining millions of Americans who have built substantial wealth through these investments.
Your success depends on following fundamental principles that are accessible to any investor, regardless of experience level:
- Establish clear financial goals with specific timelines.
- Choose low-cost diversified funds, particularly index funds for most of your portfolio.
- Implement systematic contributions through dollar-cost averaging to build wealth consistently regardless of market conditions.
- Maintain discipline during market volatility instead of making emotional decisions.
- Periodically rebalance to maintain your target asset allocation.
These principles aren't complicated, but they're powerful when applied consistently over decades.
Getting started can feel overwhelming with thousands of fund choices and conflicting advice. Here's the simple truth: you can begin with a target-date fund matching your retirement year, which provides complete diversification and professional management in a single fund.
Or build a simple three-fund portfolio with a U.S. stock index fund, international stock index fund, and bond index fund.
Both approaches provide excellent diversification while keeping decisions manageable. You can always expand or adjust your holdings as you gain experience and confidence.
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