Moneymarket mutual funds, also known as money market funds, are fixed-income mutual funds that invest in high-quality, short-term debt. They are considered one of the safest investments you can Thetypes are: 1. Capital Market 2. Money Market 3. The Foreign Exchange (Forex) Markets. Financial Market # 1. Capital Market: The capital market is one where long-term loans and equity capital are raised and exchanged. Banks, financial institutions, governments and companies raise funds for their long-term uses through the capital market. Performanceshown for the periods prior to the inception of the State Street Institutional Treasury Money Market Fund - Bancroft Capital Class on October 12, 2021 reflects the historical performance of the Fund's Premier Class shares. Bancroft Capital Class shares are generally expected to incur higher expenses, and have lower returns, than cash. Open-ended fixed income mutual funds that invest in short-term debt securities What are Money Market Funds? Money market funds are open-ended fixed income mutual funds that invest in short-term debt securities, such as Treasury bills, municipal bills, and short-term corporate and bank debt instruments that come with low credit risk and emphasize liquidity. Understanding Money Market Funds Money market securities typically come with maturities under 12 months. The short-term nature of the securities is a way of reducing risk and uncertainty. The selection of money market investments is performed by a fund manager as it should relate to the type of money market fund. Money market funds are not insured by the federal government FDIC, unlike money market accounts, which are insured. Money market mutual fund income is usually in the form of a dividend; it can be taxed or tax-exempt depending on the nature of securities invested in the fund. The funds can be used as a cash management tool in business because of their liquidity and flexibility, hence their popularity. Money market funds were developed and came into use in the 1970s. They are regulated through the Securities and Exchange Commission SEC under the Investment Company Act of 1940 in the United States and Regulation 2017/1131 in Europe. According to the Investment Company Institute, money market funds total $ trillion, as of June 17, 2020, and are distributed as follows Objectives of Money Market Fund Investments Investors take part in money market funds for the following reasons Short-term investment horizon Low conservative risk appetite with preference to low-security volatility High liquidity needs Low returns, which is compensated by low risk Stability and certainty Types of Money Market Funds The Securities and Exchange Commission SEC regulations comprise three categories of money market funds based on the securities in the fund 1. Government The funds invest in about in government-backed securities such as Treasury bills, collateralized Treasury securities, repurchase agreements, and Federal Home Loan securities. They also invest in government-sponsored enterprises GSE securities, such as Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Since government-backed paper is “risk-free,” the funds are considered very safe. 2. Prime They are funds invested in short-term corporate debt instruments, such as commercial paper, corporate notes, and short-term bank securities banker’s acceptances and certificates of deposits. They also include repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements. 3. Municipal tax-free The money market funds are predominantly invested in securities issued by municipalities, which are federal and often state income tax-exempt securities. Other entities also issue securities with tax protection, which the money funds also participate in, such as state municipal. Benefits of Using Money Market Funds 1. Liquidity The redemption of a money market fund usually takes less than two business days, and it is fairly easy to settle brokerage account investment trades. 2. Risk management Money market funds act as a risk management tool, as funds are invested in cash equivalent securities with low risk and high liquidity. 3. Short-term The short-term nature of money market funds ensures a low interest rate, credit, and liquidity risk. 4. Security Money market funds invest in low-risk and high-credit quality securities, ensuring high security. 5. Stability Money market funds are low volatility investments. 6. Convenience Easy access to funds through a checking account linked to an income-yielding money market investment fund. 7. Diversification Money market funds usually hold a diversified portfolio of government, corporate, and tax-free debt securities. 8. Tax exemption Municipal issues in which money market funds invest in are federal and often state income tax-exempt; hence they provide tax-efficient income. Money Market Fund Risks 1. Credit risk Money market securities are susceptible to volatility and are not FDIC-insured, hence the potential to not lose money, however low, is not guaranteed. There exists a probability of loss, although it is generally quite small. There is no guarantee that investors will receive $ per share on the redemption of their shares. 2. Low returns The low returns of money market funds are usually lower than other funds comprising of assets such as stocks and properties. There is a chance that money market returns may also fall below the inflation rate, providing negative real returns to investors inflation risk. Interest rates can also go down further, reducing returns on money market investments. 3. Liquidity fees and redemption gates It involves the imposition of high liquidity fees, fees levied on the sale of shares. Redemption gates require waiting periods before redeeming proceeds from money market funds, normally implemented to prevent a run on the fund in periods of market stress. 4. Foreign exchange exposure This risk is borne by funds that invest in money market instruments across borders that are denominated in other currencies other than the home currency. 5. Environmental changes Changes in economic policies and government regulations can result in an adverse impact on the price of money market securities and their issuers’ financial standing, if they affect interest rates and money supply. Related Readings CFI is the official provider of the global Commercial Banking & Credit Analyst CBCA™ certification program, designed to help anyone become a world-class financial analyst. To keep advancing your career, the additional resources below will be useful Credit Risk Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation FDIC Municipal Bond Credit Analysis Types of Markets – Dealers, Brokers, Exchanges See all wealth management resources The 10 Best Money Market Funds of June 2023 Fidelity Money Market Fund SPRXX Minimum Investment Expense Ratio 7-Day Yield Minimum Investment Expense Ratio 7-Day Yield Why We Picked It The Fidelity Money Market Fund is one of three funds on our list that require a minimum initial investment of only one dollar. Still, it is not the cheapest option—seven of the other funds herein levy even lower expense ratios. The bulk of SPRXX’s holdings are various forms of repurchase agreements. Repos, as they’re also known, are overnight loans to the Federal Reserve, backed by Treasurys. The Fed buys them back the next day at a slightly higher price. That price premium is their implicit interest rate. “These are the safest things in the world,” Crane Data President and Publisher Peter Crane told Forbes Advisor. In addition, SPRXX’s holdings include other types of repos, commercial debt and certificates of deposit Schwab Value Advantage Money Fund Investor SWVXX Minimum Investment Expense Ratio 7-Day Yield Minimum Investment Expense Ratio 7-Day Yield Why We Picked It The Schwab Value Advantage Money Fund was the world’s fastest growing money market fund last year, thanks to Schwab and other brokerages shifting their so-called sweep money out of low-yield bank deposits, into higher-yield money funds, Crane says. SWVXX now holds more than $120 billion of shareholders’ assets. Treasury and other government agency repurchase agreements are SWVXX’s largest single type of holding. CDs and commercial paper are its second and third largest types of holdings. T. Rowe Price Treasury Money Fund Z PRTXX Minimum Investment Expense Ratio 7-Day Yield Minimum Investment Expense Ratio 7-Day Yield Why We Picked It Its expense ratio puts T. Rowe Price Treasury Money Fund in the middle of the pack in terms of annual cost on our list of best money market mutual funds for 2023. PRTXX is yet another money market fund in which Treasury repurchase agreements account for the vast majority of fund holdings. Treasury bills are the fund’s second biggest category of holdings. Currently, all securities held by the fund will mature in 397 days or less, and PRTXX’s weighted average maturity of holdings will not exceed 60 days. Invesco Premier Portfolio Institutional IPPXX Minimum Investment Expense Ratio 7-Day Yield Minimum Investment Expense Ratio 7-Day Yield Why We Picked It Invesco Premier Institutional has the highest yield of all funds on our list. That’s due to a portfolio that consists mainly of short-term, high-credit-quality money market instruments. The securities are obligations, and they include primarily commercial paper, certificates of deposits, master and promissory notes, municipal securities and repurchase agreements. JPMorgan Liquid Assets Money Market Fund MJLXX Minimum Investment Expense Ratio 7-Day Yield Minimum Investment Expense Ratio 7-Day Yield Why We Picked It One distinctive feature of JPMorgan Liquid Assets Money Market Fund is that it considers financially material environmental, social and governance ESG factors in investment decisions. MJLXX managers consider those factors with the goal of enhancing long-term, risk-adjusted financial returns. But fund literature makes clear that MJLXX’s consideration of ESG factors does not alter the fund’s strategic goal, which is to invest in high-quality, short-term money market instruments. These include corporate notes, commercial paper, funding agreements, repurchase agreements, CDs and bank obligations. Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund VMFXX Minimum Investment Expense Ratio 7-Day Yield Minimum Investment Expense Ratio 7-Day Yield Why We Picked It With roughly $245 billion of assets, Vanguard Federal Money Market Fund is the largest portfolio on our list of the best money market funds of 2023. It is the third largest such fund industrywide—one of the larger funds requires an initial investment of at least $10 million, while the other larger fund is Fidelity Government Money Market SPAXX, the next fund on our list. VMFXX invests largely in securities issued by the government or its agencies. It also invests in repurchase agreements with collateral backing of Treasuries or to a lesser extent mortgage-backed securities. VMFXX maintains an average maturity of 60 days or less. Fidelity Government Money Market Fund SPAXX Minimum Investment Expense Ratio 7-Day Yield Minimum Investment Expense Ratio 7-Day Yield Why We Picked It True to its name, the Fidelity Government Money Market Fund normally has nearly all of its shareholders’ money at work in cash, government securities and/or repurchase agreements that are collateralized by cash or government securities. Hypersafe as SPAXX holdings are, they are not entirely risk free. SPAXX literature points out that certain issuers of Government securities are sponsored or chartered by Congress but their securities are neither issued nor guaranteed by the Treasury. Offsetting that negligible chink in SPAXX’s armor is its massive size, now exceeding $260 billion. Vanguard Treasury Money Market Fund VUSXX Minimum Investment Expense Ratio 7-Day Yield Minimum Investment Expense Ratio 7-Day Yield Why We Picked It The Vanguard Treasury Money Market Fund is a stablemate of VFMXX. VUSXX follows a slightly different strategy in constructing its portfolio. VUSXX invests solely in Treasury obligations and repurchase agreements fully collateralized by Treasury securities. Like its larger sister fund, VUSXX maintains an average maturity of 60 days or less. Its expense ratio is the lowest on our list. T. Rowe Price Government Money Fund PRRXX Minimum Investment Expense Ratio 7-Day Yield Minimum Investment Expense Ratio 7-Day Yield Why We Picked It T. Rowe Price Government Money Fund invests only in dollar-denominated money market securities. All of PRRXX’s securities mature in 397 days or less. The fund’s weighted average maturity will not exceed 60 days. Roughly three-quarters of fund holdings consist of repurchase agreements. PRRXX’s second largest category of holdings is made up of debt issued by the government and its agencies. BlackRock Wealth Liquid Environmentally Aware Fund Investor PINXX Minimum Investment Expense Ratio 7-Day Yield Minimum Investment Expense Ratio 7-Day Yield Why We Picked It BlackRock Wealth Liquid Environmentally Aware Fund, also known as BlackRock Wealth LEAF, is another socially conscious fund in our list of the best money market funds for 2023. PINXX considers environmental, social and governance ESG factors in its investment decisions, but is not ruled by such factors, according to fund literature. The fund invests in a broad array of securities. Roughly 40% of its holdings are government agency repurchase agreements. About another 15% are CDs. An almost equal amount are commercial paper–that is, short-term unsecured promissory notes issued by companies. Nearly 10% are asset-backed commercial paper. The rest is a mix of fixed income securities. *Asset weights are sourced from fund filings, all other data is sourced from Crane Data, current as of June 1, 2023, unless noted otherwise. Methodology To compile our list of the best money market mutual funds, we searched for funds with a winning combinations of some key traits Wide availability. Many funds offer high yields and charge investors low fees, but the funds are available only through certain brokerages, advisors or workplace retirement plans. Instead, we generally only let funds through our screening process if Crane Data classifies them as retail funds. Likewise, we tried to steer clear of funds that charge liquidity fees or impose limits on redemptions. Low minimums and fees. We screened out all funds that demand initial investments of more than $3,000. And we screened for funds with the lowest expense ratios—all of our picks levy expense ratios of or less. Highest possible yields. We screened out funds with 7-day yields of less than Seven-day yield is the industry standard for making comparisons among funds. It considers fund distributions plus appreciation, minus average fees over seven days—and then projects this average forward over the next 12 months. Large portfolios. We screened out funds with low asset levels. Only one has as little as just over $1 billion in assets. Six have roughly $3 billion to $50 billion in assets. Three have roughly $110 billion to more than $250 billion. Finding funds with all of those attributes is a balancing act. A fund may excel in one or two or even three categories, but it may be a laggard in others or even be an outright failure in some categories. Why does asset level matter? Because money market funds are not bank deposits. They are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation FDIC. If a financial crisis arises, the funds that stand the best chance of preserving your principal are the biggest funds. First, they have the deepest pockets. “It takes ample resources to withstand tough times,” Crane said. Second, more assets means more shareholders. And in a financial emergency, you’ll want as many allies as possible to sway regulators and politicians trying to decide which funds and fund complexes to help. “Having 10-to-50 million shareholders on your side doesn’t hurt if you’ve got to call on Washington for emergency support,” Crane said. Size also matters during ordinary times as well. “The bigger the fund, generally the better its service,” Crane said. “In general, I don’t like funds at small financial firms. And I don’t want to think about limitations on access and extra fees charged by funds with weird share class letters at the end of the To learn more about our rating and review methodology and editorial process, check out our guide on how Forbes Advisor rates investing products. The author owned shares of the Fidelity Money Market Fund when this article was published. He held no positions in the other securities discussed in the post at the original time of What is a Money Market Mutual Fund? Money market funds are fixed income mutual funds that invest in debt securities with short maturities and very low credit risk. They offer ultra-low volatility and extremely good liquidity and may invest in taxable or tax-exempt government securities. Money market funds are open-ended funds, meaning they may sell unlimited shares to customers. The fund sells and redeems the shares at a price equivalent to the net asset value NAV, which is calculated daily. The managers of money market funds always aim to keep their NAV fixed at $1 per share using special pricing and valuation conventions. Some allow their NAV to float based on the current market value of the securities in their portfolios. Types of Money Market Funds Money market mutual funds are defined by their type of investments, typically labeled as government, prime or municipal funds. Prime and municipal funds are further classified as retail or institutional, depending upon the type of investors in the fund. Government funds must invest of their assets in government-issued securities and consequently are extremely safe. Municipal money market funds invest in municipal bonds issued by municipalities and municipal agencies, which pay interest exempt from federal income tax. Prime money market funds invest in corporate commercial paper, repurchase agreements, certificates of deposit, and other bank debt securities. Which Is Better Money Market Fund or Savings Account? A savings account with a financial institution is the safest, most liquid option for holding cash. That’s because the FDIC insures savings account deposits for up to $250,000, and funds are instantly available at the ATM or counter. That same insurance coverage applies to money market accounts MMAs, which are available at banks and credit unions, but are not the same thing as similarly named money market mutual funds. Money market mutual funds, often referred to simply as money market funds, are investment securities, not bank accounts. As such, they have no FDIC insurance. Still, money market funds are also very low risk given that they invest in cash and securities guaranteed by the US government, such as Treasury bills, Treasury notes and repurchase agreements based on government-backed obligations. Both accounts are extremely liquid, although some funds impose liquidity fees on redemption and certain limitations on redemption periods. Money Market Funds in the Current Environment Money market funds offered negligible yields in the low-rate environment that persisted over the past several years. Now that interest rates are rising, seven-day yields have climbed. Still, inflation remains high. Rising interest rates are enabling savers to trim the gap between the value of their savings in money market funds and the pace at which inflation is eroding that money’s purchasing power. Investors are responding, big time. Assets in money market funds have hit all-time record levels four weeks in a row, according to Investors poured a net $ billion into money market funds just in the latest week, which ended April 5, says the Investment Company Institute ICI, an industry trade group. That put money market fund assets at $ trillion. That’s a leap of over the past 52 weeks. It’s a surge this year alone. Keeping up with inflation and out-earning savings and checking accounts are not the only catalysts for inflows. “The failure of Silicon Valley Bank and the cryptocurrency collapse have spooked investors, who are leery about leaving money in bank deposit accounts in excess of the FDIC-insured amount of $250,000–and even amounts smaller than that,” Crane said. Next Up In Investing Information provided on Forbes Advisor is for educational purposes only. Your financial situation is unique and the products and services we review may not be right for your circumstances. We do not offer financial advice, advisory or brokerage services, nor do we recommend or advise individuals or to buy or sell particular stocks or securities. Performance information may have changed since the time of publication. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Forbes Advisor adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. To the best of our knowledge, all content is accurate as of the date posted, though offers contained herein may no longer be available. The opinions expressed are the author’s alone and have not been provided, approved, or otherwise endorsed by our partners. Investors with a focus on the preservation of capital often seek out fixed-income solutions such as government or low-risk municipal bonds, preferred stocks, traditional bank savings products, or money market mutual funds. Each of these investment vehicles provides a degree of safety from otherwise volatile securities markets in addition to a potential stream of fixed income. Although each strategy has its own merits and drawbacks, a money market fund is a popular choice among risk-averse investors. Read on to find out more about this kind of investment and how you can benefit from these putting your money into this product. Key Takeaways Money market funds invest in highly liquid securities like cash, cash equivalents, and high-rated debt-based funds offer investors liquidity because they're invested in securities with short-term maturities—usually 13 months or they only invest in highly rated securities, money market funds offer a high degree of market funds also offer investors higher yields than traditional savings accounts. What Is a Money Market Fund? A money market fund is a type of mutual fund. It invests in highly liquid vehicles such as cash, cash equivalents, and high-rated debt-based securities. These securities tend to have short-term maturities—usually less than 13 months. Many money market funds hold securities like commercial paper and Treasury bills. Investors purchase units or shares of a money market fund from a mutual fund company or through a broker. Just like other mutual funds, there may be a minimum initial investment amount required to take part in a money market fund. They also come with an expense ratio. This fee is calculated as a total percentage of the fund's asset which covers its administrative and operating expenses. Don't confuse money market funds with money market accounts MMAs. Although they may sound alike, they are different. A money market account is a savings account offered by traditional financial institutions, allowing the account holder to earn interest on the average balance. Because they are intended to act as a savings vehicle, MMAs allow investors limited withdrawals. These accounts are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation FDIC, while money market funds are not. Types of Money Market Funds Money market funds are divided into different categories depending on their attributes including their maturities and the classes of securities. For instance, government money market funds invest the majority of their assets in cash and government securities. Treasury funds invest in Treasury bills, bonds, and notes. Another type of money market fund is the tax-exempt fund. These types of funds invest primarily in vehicles that are exempt from federal taxes such as municipal bonds. Benefits of Money Market Funds A money market fund provides investors with an array of benefits that you may not find with other investments. The most common are noted below. Liquidity Money market mutual funds provide investors with liquidity. That's because these funds are invested in securities that mature in short periods of time and can be liquidated for cash. Fund managers invest pooled investor dollars into money market securities including bank certificates of deposit CDs, federal agency notes, high-grade commercial paper, or government treasury issues such as T-bills. Safety Investors who want to park their money in a relatively safe investment may want to consider money market funds. The Securities and Exchange Commission SEC mandates that only securities with the highest credit ratings are available to purchase in money market funds, creating a degree of safety for investors not found in other fixed-income investments. This also helps set them apart from other investments such as stocks which are characterized by a higher degree of volatility. Higher Yields In addition to safety and liquidity, money market funds offer the potential for higher yields than conventional cash equivalents such as savings or money market accounts from a bank or credit union. The objective of a money market fund it to keep its net asset value NAV steadily at $1, resulting in no growth of principal. Despite this, money market funds provide investors slightly higher yields than conventional cash equivalents over time because fund managers can diversify the underlying investments. Although they're considered relatively safe investments, money market funds also come with inherent risks including inflation, credit, and interest rate risks. A Word on Risks Even though they're considered a primarily safe place to put your cash, money market funds do come with their own inherent risks—just like any other investment. A few things investors may want to consider are Inflation Risk This risk occurs when the cash flows from a money market fund drop because of inflation. In other words, inflation cuts down how the money market fund performs. Credit Risk Because they aren't insured by the FDIC like savings accounts and CDs, there's no guarantee that you won't lose your money. Interest Rate Risk This is the risk associated with fluctuating interest rates. Yields share an inverse relationship with interest rates, so when interest rates rise, yields drop and vice versa.

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