Stock Funds

Although a stock fund's value can rise and fall quickly (and dramatically) over the short term, historically stocks have performed better over the long term than other types of investments — including corporate bonds, government bonds, and treasury securities.

Overall "market risk" poses the greatest potential danger for investors in stocks funds. Stock prices can fluctuate for a broad range of reasons — such as the overall strength of the economy or demand for particular products or services.Not all stock funds are the same. For example:

• Growth funds focus on stocks that may not pay a regular dividend but have the potential for large capital gains.
• Income funds invest in stocks that pay regular dividends.
• Index funds aim to achieve the same return as a particular market index, such as the S&P 500 Composite Stock Price Index, by investing in all — or perhaps a representative sample — of the companies included in an index.
• Sector funds may specialize in a particular industry segment, such as technology or consumer products stocks.