Investment fund is a type of collective investment scheme under which all fund Participants invest money together. Investment funds are established and managed by investment fund management companies. Funds manage the assets of many investors and invest them in securities, such as equity shares, bonds, treasury bills and other financial instruments.

Investment control
Unlike bank deposits with a fixed interest rate, the return on investments in an investment fund is neither known in advance nor guaranteed. It is not based on interest income but on the change in the value of securities and other assets in which the funds invest. The higher the increase in the value of securities, the higher the return. The value of investments can be checked on an ongoing basis by tracking the value of participation units of respective funds.

Investment horizon
Defines the exposure to the equity market. In the case of investments of several months, money market sub-funds are generally recommended. In the case of three-year investments – stable growth funds are considered the right choice and for investments of 5 or more year – equity and balanced sub-funds.

Risk appetite
When the risk acceptability level is high, investors may take into consideration more volatile investments which, however, may bring higher returns e.g. equity sub-funds. When the risk acceptability level is low, it is better to invest in sub-funds with limited volatility, even if the return on them is lower.

The sub-funds cannot guarantee achievement of the adopted investment objective or the expected return. Prior to making an investment decision, the Participant should review the fees charged by the sub-fund and take into account the potential tax imposed on the gains. The Participant has to take into consideration the possibility of losing at least part of the invested capital.