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Mutual Funds and Mutual Fund Investing - Fidelity Investments

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Choosing investments for your IRA

Learn about options and strategies for investing that fit your life stage, personality, and goals for retirement.

Investing your IRA savings

You're saving in an IRA. Congrats! You've taken an important step on the road to a comfortable retirement. But for most people, that's not enough. The next step is investing your savings for long-term growth.

And starting in 2020, as long as you are still working, there is no age limit to be able to contribute to a Traditional IRA. The Secure Act, signed into law on December 20, 2019, removed the age limit in which an individual can contribute to an IRA. The top age prior to the law was 70½.

Are you tentative about investing in stocks? Remember, if you have a decade or more until retirement, you should be able to ride out market volatility, as long as you continue to save and invest. Indeed, market pullbacks, when prices are low, are often the best times to invest for long-term growth potential. So consider your time horizon and stomach for risk, and put your IRA dollars to work for your future.

Not enough time, knowledge, or interest to build and manage an asset mix? Consider a professionally managed solution or single-fund strategy.

Investment advisory offerings
We offer a range of investment management options and experienced Fidelity advisors who can help you meet all your financial goals.

Single-fund strategy
Fidelity Freedom^® Funds are single-fund investment strategies that can help take the guesswork out of building and maintaining an age-based retirement portfolio.

Interested in choosing and managing your own investments? You can choose individual securities to build your own portfolio. Plus, Fidelity offers commission-free trades for online US stocks and ETFs* and when you open a new retail brokerage account.

Considerations to help you choose investments

What kind of investor are you?

There's no one right way to approach investing—only the right one for you. You may be a DIY investor or like working with a professional. And your preferences may change over time as you do. The key is to understand your own investing needs and goals so you can make the right choices and have more confidence about your financial future.

How much risk can you stomach?

Stocks, bonds, and cash come with different levels of risk and potential reward. Stocks, while the most volatile, have historically had higher potential for growth. So if you can hold an investment for a long time, you may benefit from the higher growth as you ride out market volatility. On the other hand, if you'll need the money in just a few years—or if the prospect of losing money makes you too nervous—consider a higher allocation to generally less volatile investments, such as bonds and short-term investments.

When do you need your money?

One of the keys to successful investing is learning how to balance your comfort level with risk against your time horizon. Invest your retirement nest egg too conservatively at a young age, and you run the risk that the growth rate of your investments won't keep pace with inflation. Conversely, if you invest too aggressively when you're older, you could leave your savings exposed to market volatility, which could erode the value of your assets at an age when you have fewer opportunities to recoup your losses.

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Pick funds based on your risk tolerance and financial situation.

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Keep in mind that investing involves risk. The value of your investment will fluctuate over time, and you may gain or lose money.

$0.00 commission applies to online U.S. equity trades and Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) in a Fidelity retail account only for Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC retail clients. Sell orders are subject to an activity assessment fee (from $0.01 to $0.03 per $1,000 of principal). Other exclusions and conditions may apply. See Fidelity.com/commissions for details. Employee equity compensation transactions and accounts managed by advisors or intermediaries through Fidelity Clearing & Custody Solutions^® are subject to different commission schedules.

Before investing, consider the funds' investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Contact Fidelity for a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus containing this information. Read it carefully.

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Choose an IRA to open

Fidelity IRAs have no account fees or minimums to open, plus $0 commission for online US stock, ETF, and option trades¹ and great rates on cash.²

No account fees or minimums to open Fidelity retail IRA accounts. Expenses charged by investments (e.g., funds, managed accounts, and certain HSAs), and commissions, interest charges, and other expenses for transactions, may still apply. See Fidelity.com/commissions for further details.

Zero account minimums apply to retail brokerage accounts only. Account minimums may apply to certain account types (e.g., managed accounts) and/or the purchase of some Fidelity mutual funds that have a minimum investment requirement. See Fidelity.com/commissions and/or the fund's prospectus for details.

$0.00 commission applies to online U.S. equity trades, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and options (+ $0.65 per contract fee) in a Fidelity retail account only for Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC retail clients. Sell orders are subject to an activity assessment fee (from $0.01 to $0.03 per $1,000 of principal). There is an Options Regulatory Fee (from $0.03 to $0.05 per contract), which applies to both option buy and sell transactions. The fee is subject to change. Other exclusions and conditions may apply. See Fidelity.com/commissions for details. Employee equity compensation transactions and accounts managed by advisors or intermediaries through Fidelity Clearing & Custody Solutions^® are subject to different commission schedules.

2. When you open a new Fidelity Brokerage or Retirement Account, we automatically put your uninvested cash into the Fidelity^® Government Money Market Fund (unless you choose another cash option).

A qualified distribution from a Roth IRA is tax-free and penalty-free, provided the 5-year aging requirement has been satisfied and one of the following conditions is met: age 59½ or older, disability, qualified first-time home purchase, or death.

See all account types

Mutual Funds

Mutual funds are a practical, cost-efficient way to build a diversified portfolio of stocks, bonds, or short-term investments.

Explore mutual funds

Annuities

Annuities (classified deferred or income) may help you increase savings, protect your savings, or guarantee* income for life.

Explore annuities

* Annuity guarantees are subject to the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company.

Bonds and US Treasuries

Fixed income investments generally pay a return on a fixed schedule, though the amount of the payments can vary.

Explore bonds and US Treasuries

ETFs

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are a popular investment choice. They are similar to mutual funds but trade throughout the day.

Explore ETFs

FDIC-insured CDs

Certificates of deposit, or CDs, are fixed income investments that generally pay a set rate of interest over a fixed time period.

Explore FDIC-insured CDs

Stocks

Stocks offer the most growth potential. If you are saving for something years away, you can likely ride out stock market downturns.

Explore stocks

Choosing investments for your IRA

Investing your IRA savings

Your IRA investment choices