360Money Market Disclosure. Initial deposit: You can open the account with any amount—there is no minimum deposit required to open it.. Minimum Balance to Obtain Annual Percentage Yield (APY): There is no minimum balance required to obtain the disclosed APY. Rate information: The interest rates and annual percentage yields are variable, meaning we can MoneyMarket Fund The Genghis Capital Unit Trust Fund is a Collective Investment Scheme (CIS) which was approved by the Kenyan regulator, the Capital Market Authority (CMA), in December 2011. The scheme currently houses the Genghis money market fund: Hela Imara. This is a conservative risk fund and ideal for clients who have a low-risk appetite. WataniUSD Money Market Fund is an open-ended money market fund incorporated in Kuwait, licensed and supervised by the Capital Market Authority of Kuwait. The primary aim of the fund is to enable investors to gain exposure to money market investments. The Fund seeks to generate returns above USD deposit rates. AccountName: STL Trustees/ValuAlliance Money Market Fund. Account Number: 0035897755. Steady income from quarterly interest payment. Send completed form alongside required supporting documents and evidence of payment to us electronically or physically. For more information, please see some Frequently Asked Questions and the Abridged Prospectus. 1 The daily effective federal funds rate ( IRFEDD.IUSA) is a weighted average of rates on brokered trades. 2. Weekly figures are averages of seven calendar days ending on Wednesday of the current week; monthly figures include each calendar day in the month. 3. Annualized using a 360-day year or bank interest. Forthe most recent month-end performance figures, please select the"month" timeframe within the Performance tab or call . Investment returns and principal value will fluctuate and fund shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. For additional important information, please click here. EvRz. Editor's Note This article was updated on June 9, 2023, to include Strive Emerging Markets Ex-China ETF. The number of funds was revised to 27, and a note was added to the first two charts. Over the past few years, the incorporation of environmental, social, and governance factors in investment decisions has become mainstream. As its popularity has risen, however, anti-ESG sentiment has also gathered steam. In a recent study, we took a closer look at some of these funds and what they stand for. One thing is clear Anti-ESG investing is not a help investors navigate what can be a confusing landscape, we subdivided our list of 27 anti-ESG funds into five mutually exclusive categories Anti-ESG, Political, Renouncers, Vice, and oldest funds in this group invest in companies known as “sin stocks” that were traditionally excluded by socially responsible funds. Some invest in companies aligned with politically conservative values. Others are traditional passive funds with anti-ESG proxy voting policies. Only one fund in our sample—Constrained Capital ESG Orphans ETF ORFN—neatly fits into the anti-ESG box by investing in businesses management believes are “orphaned,’ discarded or excluded by ESG-centric mutual funds.” That said, it filed with the SEC to liquidate in June funds employ diverse approaches to portfolio construction, but on average they tend to deliver greater exposure to ESG risk compared with peers based on the Morningstar Sustainability Rating. Nearly half of the funds in our sample have High or Above Average levels of exposure to ESG risk, corresponding to 1 or 2 globes, respectively. For perspective, roughly 30% of the overall fund universe receives these ratings, so anti-ESG funds are disproportionately represented at the higher end of ESG risk Funds Invest in Fossil FuelsAmong other things, high levels of ESG risk in a portfolio commonly match significant involvement in the fossil fuel industry. Morningstar Portfolio Fossil Fuel Involvement measures a portfolio’s exposure to thermal coal, oil and gas, oil sands, shale energy, deep-water production, and Arctic offshore for Vice funds, each anti-ESG fund category carries higher exposure to fossil fuels than the Morningstar US Market Index. Constrained Capital ESG Orphans ETF exhibits the most staggering overweight, but it comes as no surprise that Voter fund Strive Energy ETF DRLL has the highest exposure to the fossil fuel industry. Approximately 97% of the companies in the portfolio earn revenue from fossil fuels. For example, Exxon Mobil XOM accounts for nearly one fourth of Strive Energy ETF’s portfolio. It is also a top 10 holding in Political fund Unusual Whales Subversive Republican Trading ETF KRUZ and in ORFN. Oil and gas giant Exxon Mobil earns a Severe ESG Risk Rating from Morningstar Sustainalytics owing to the likelihood of oil spills across its broad network of pipelines and refineries, as well as its exposure to significant legal and financial liabilities as one of the world’s largest manufacturers of Anti-ESG Funds Deliver Exposure to Environmental and Social Impact for InvestorsWhile metrics like fossil fuel involvement may help an investor assess risks in their portfolio, Morningstar’s Portfolio Impact Metrics help them understand the portfolio’s exposure to revenue associated with positive environmental or social of the five key themes, Climate Action, is concerned with the global effort to curb the Earth’s temperature rise and cope with the unavoidable consequences of climate change. It includes measures to promote clean energy and limit greenhouse gas emissions, among others. On average, each of the categories in our sample has lower exposure to climate action compared with the Morningstar US Market shockingly, many portfolios in our list have high levels of alignment to climate action impact. For instance, 84% of Strive Semiconductor ETF’s SHOC portfolio is involved in climate action impact, a whopping 48-percentage-point overweight relative to the benchmark, followed by Strive 1000 Growth ETF STXG and Strive 500 ETF STRV at 43% and 36%, respectively. Each of the three funds has a major position in Nvidia NVDA, a multinational technology company that contributes heavily to the climate action theme. For example, Nvidia recently launched its Earth-2 initiative to build the world’s most powerful artificial intelligence supercomputer dedicated to predicting climate change. In 2021, the company also disclosed manufacturing energy-efficient GPUs for gaming and professional Closer Look at the Anti-ESG Fund Before It is Liquidated Although Nvidia was a common holding for many anti-ESG funds, the only fund in our sample that neatly fits into the anti-ESG box does not count it among its top 10 holdings. The exhibit above shows ORFN’s top 10 holdings as of March 31, holdings include Exxon Mobil, tobacco firm Philip Morris PM, and defense contractor Raytheon Technologies RTX. In 2021, Exxon Mobil and Chevron CVX posted gains of 86% and 58%, respectively, due to the fossil fuel price surge that followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Six stocks in this group carry Severe to High levels of ESG Risk, with Exxon Mobil getting the riskiest rating. As expected, the higher levels of risk in these names can be traced to each company’s high carbon emissions and/or the greenhouse gas emissions of their products and services while in use by author or authors do not own shares in any securities mentioned in this article. Find out about Morningstar’s editorial policies. Money Market Vs. Capital Market An Overview The money market and the capital market are not single institutions but two broad components of the global financial system. The money market is the trade in short-term debt. It is a constant flow of cash between governments, corporations, banks, and financial institutions, borrowing and lending for a term as short as overnight and no longer than a capital market encompasses the trade in both stocks and bonds. These are long-term assets bought by financial institutions, professional brokers, and individual investors. Together, the money market and the capital market comprise a large portion of what is known as the financial market. Financial Markets Capital vs. Money Markets The Money Market The money market is a good place for individuals, banks, other companies, and governments to park cash for a short period of time, usually one year or less. It exists so that businesses and governments that need cash to operate can get it quickly at a reasonable cost, and so that businesses that have more cash than they need can put it to use. Key Takeaways The money market is a short-term lending system. Borrowers tap it for the cash they need to operate from day to day. Lenders use it to put spare cash to capital market is geared toward long-term investing. Companies issue stocks and bonds to raise money to grow their businesses. Investors buy them to share in that money market is less risky than the capital market while the capital market is potentially more rewarding. The returns are modest but the risks are low. The instruments used in the money markets include deposits, collateral loans, acceptances, and bills of exchange. Institutions operating in the money markets include the Federal Reserve, commercial banks, and acceptance houses. When a company or government issues short-term debt, it's usually to cover routine operating expenses or supply working capital, not for capital improvements or large-scale projects. About Liquidity The money market plays a key role in ensuring that banks, other companies, and governments maintain the appropriate level of liquidity on a daily basis, without falling short and needing a more expensive loan and without hoarding excess cash that isn't earning interest. Individual investors may use the money markets to invest their savings in a safe and accessible place. Many choices are available, including mutual funds that focus on state money market funds, municipal funds, and Treasury funds. Many of the government funds are tax-free. A money-market fund also can be opened at most banks. The Capital Market The capital market is where stocks and bonds are traded. Its movements from hour to hour are constantly monitored and analyzed for clues as to the health of the economy at large, the status of every industry in it, and the consensus for the short-term future. The overriding goal of the companies institutions that enter into the capital markets is to raise money for their long-term purposes, which usually come down to expanding their businesses and increasing their revenues. They do this by issuing stock shares and by selling corporate bonds. Primary and Secondary The capital market is roughly divided into a primary market and a secondary market. A company that issues a round of stock or a new bond places it in the primary market for sale directly to investors or institutions. If and when those buyers decide to sell their shares or bonds, they do so on the secondary market. The original issuer of those stocks or bonds does not immediately benefit from their resale, although companies certainly have an interest in the price of their stock shares rising over time. The capital market is by nature riskier than the money market and has greater potential gains and losses. What are four examples of money market instruments? Examples of money market instruments include certificates of deposit CDs, commercial paper, Treasury bills T-bills, and banker's acceptances. What are the types of capital markets? Capital markets can be broken down into primary and secondary markets. The primary market is where stocks and bonds are first issued to investors. The secondary market, on the other hand, is where securities that have already been issued are traded between investors. What are 3 types of capital market? Capital markets can include the stock market, the bond market, and the forex market. Each of these markets trade a different asset class. The Bottom Line The money market and capital market are often talked about. Together, they make up a large chunk of the global financial market. The money market is where short-term financial instruments with a holding period of a year or less are traded. It essentially works as a short-term lending and borrowing platform for its participants, with investors in this market either gaining access to funds or earning interest on them. The capital market is also a venue where people make money but has different characteristics. In this market, there are entities that issue shares, bonds, or other long-term securities to raise capital and grow their businesses, and those who invest in these instruments, hoping to turn a profit. The key distinguishing factors are time and rewards. Money markets are made up of short-term investments carrying less risk, whereas capital markets are more geared toward the longer term and offer greater potential gains and losses. A money market fund—also known as a money market mutual fund—offers a relatively safe parking spot for your money. They are popular with investors because they are highly liquid, so the money can fund a new investment what is a money market fund? And how does it work? Let’s take a is a money marketMoney market funds are mutual funds that invest in short-term debt securities such as Treasury bills, cash, and cash-equivalent securities. They offer a low level of risk and high confuse a money market fund with a money market account. Money market funds are regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission SEC and invest your money in the stock market accounts are a savings account offered by financial institutions such as banks and insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation FDIC.Just like any other investment, money market funds carry the risk of losing value. However, they are considered a safe way to earn a higher interest than savings accounts or money market to dive into the market? Wealthsimple Trade makes it easy to buy and sell thousands of stocks and ETFs—all commission-free. No jargon, no paperwork. Get started money market fund can be a popular tool for investors to park their cash before buying stocks or after selling them. They are much less volatile than the stock or bond markets, but their low returns make them a bad long-term money market funds workMoney market funds work just like any other mutual fund where investors buy shares. The fund takes the money and buys short-term government or corporate debt such as Treasury bonds, commercial paper, certificates of deposit CDs, and so of mutual fund investmentsCertificates of deposit CDs A federally insured savings vehicle with a fixed interest rate and a short-term date of withdrawalBankers’ Acceptance A short-term commercial bank draft representing a promise of future paymentCommercial paper A short-term corporate promissory note representing a pledge of future Treasury securities Short-term government debt obligationsRepurchase agreements A type of short-term borrowing using government securitiesIncome from money market funds can be taxable or tax-free depending on the type of portfolio. Tax-free portfolios can be exempt from federal and/or state and local market funds have tried to maintain a net asset value NAV of $1 per share. Investors receive the difference between the NAV share price and portfolio earnings in the form of NAV rule ensures that investors get regular payments although they are not guaranteed to be the same each time. There is also no guarantee that the mutual fund can maintain the share the fund fails to maintain the $1 share price called “breaking the buck”, it can be liquidated by regulators. This has only happened twice so far once in 1994 with the Community Bankers Government Money Market fund and once in 2008 with the Reserve Primary Money failures resulted in new rules issued by the SEC to provide more stability and prevent similar issues in the of money market fundsThere are three main types of money market funds prime also known as general purpose, government including Treasury, and tax-exempt also known as municipal. Prime and tax-exempt mutual funds are further divided into retail or of their classification, all money market funds must comply with regulatory requirements concerning the diversification of the fund’s investment, the type of investments it holds and their liquidity and of money market fundsPrime general purpose This type of fund invests in corporate notes, commercial paper, CDs, debt issued by government agencies, and so type of money market fund invests at least percent of total assets in cash, government securities, and repurchase agreements. This can include Treasury securities and repurchase agreements for municipal This type of fund comprises municipal securities exempt from federal and sometimes state income tax. As a result, earnings from tax-exempt funds are also money market funds are targeted toward individual investors, while others aim to attract institutional money. Those targeted toward individuals are known as retail money market funds, while those targeted toward institutions are known as institutional money market funds seek to maintain a stable $1 share value or NAV but may charge certain fees or suspend your ability to sell shares depending on market funds don’t have to maintain a stable $1 share value but can use a floating NAV, which allows for fluctuations. These funds may also charge certain fees and suspend the ability to sell individual and institutional investors can buy government money market funds. They don’t charge fees, suspend your ability to sell shares, and are not subject to a floating and disadvantages of money market fundsThere are both advantages and disadvantages to investing in money market funds. Sometimes, they can be the right choice and offer a way to protect and grow your they have downsides that can increase your risk and your opportunity of money market fundsMoney market funds are one of several options for investors looking to park their cash in the short term. Other options include money market accounts, high-interest savings accounts, and so main reason for putting your money in a money market fund is to find a low-risk but low-return investment. Sometimes, they also offer tax-exempt have several advantages over other investment optionsLow risk Money market funds offer low volatility and therefore low risk. They are a relatively safe investment where you can park your cash fees Money market funds don’t charge entry or exit fees or loads.High liquidity Investments within money market funds are highly liquid so you can get them out within a few business days. Many also allow investors to write returns than bank accounts Most money market funds earn more than high-interest savings accounts. Sometimes, such as with municipal funds, the earnings are also of money market fundsWhile there are advantages to money market funds, investors should also consider the downsides. They can be a good option in certain situations but may not work well in of money market fundsVariable rates Unlike traditional savings accounts, there is no guarantee on the rate of return for money market funds. This means you don’t know how much you will earn from capital appreciation Because of the conservative nature of money market funds, investors don’t get capital appreciation. This is a low-risk but also low-return FDIC-insured Since money market funds are a type of mutual fund, they are not insured by the FDIC. They are a security and thus regulated by the SEC. There is still a risk that you can lose your money without the backing of a government costMoney market funds generally offer low returns over the long term unlike riskier investments such as stocks. Over the long haul, inflation will eat away at your returns. This is why you may be better off with a diversified mix of stocks and bonds offered by ratios Just like other mutual funds, money market funds charge a fee that helps pay the cost of running the fund. It’s called the expense ratio and can reduce your earnings from the fund. Therefore it’s important to check the expense ratio information on the fund’s prospectus before putting your money in to money market fundsThere are several alternatives to money market funds, which may fit your needs better and offer similar yields. There are multiple factors that determine which type of account is the best fit for your current are several alternatives to consider for investing your cash in the short termShort duration bond funds and exchange-traded funds ETFsBond funds and ETFs can be a good alternative to money market funds with a higher potential yield. However, they can be higher risk and come with management fees and ETFs offer lower fees than bond funds and full transparency on what bonds they include in the fund. They can be purchased through a broker and traded on the open market like market accountWhile money market accounts often get confused with money market funds, they are not the same thing. Money market accounts are FDIC-insured up to $250,000 and are offered by traditional financial institutions such as regular savings accounts, they often require a higher minimum balance but offer higher yields. Most times, these types of accounts offer check-writing privileges and other features similar to regular bank savings accountHigh-yield savings accounts offer another alternative to money market funds. Just like money market accounts, they are FDIC insured and can be opened at traditional financial money market accounts, they have a lower minimum balance requirement and offer check writing and debit card privileges in many of deposit CDCertificates of deposit are a type of savings account with a fixed-term length of time such as three months, six months, one year, two years, and so on. In exchange for locking up your money for a fixed term, you will receive a fixed money market and high-yield savings accounts, CDs are also FDIC insured up to $250, longer the term, the higher the interest rate. Sometimes, CDs may pay higher interest rates than money market accounts but may require that you lock your money for a long you need to withdraw your money before the maturity date, you will be charged a to talk to someone about investing? Call us to talk with a real-life human being about your financial situation. Get a free analysis of your investments, debt and savings rate. Work on goal setting and make a plan to improve your finances. Book a free investment consultation Updated August 28, 2019 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.

capital money market fund