What financial instrument pools investments from multiple individuals?

A mutual fund is a financial instrument that pools investments from multiple individuals to create a diversified portfolio. This approach allows investors to collectively invest in a range of securities, such as stocks, bonds, or other assets, which helps reduce individual risk and enables access to a broader array of investment opportunities than one might be able to afford independently.

The nature of mutual funds enables investors to benefit from the expertise of professional fund managers who make investment decisions on behalf of the fund. This pooling mechanism also often results in lower costs and improved liquidity for investors, as they can buy or sell shares of the mutual fund easily.

While options like exchange-traded funds also pool investments, they are traded on exchanges and have distinct characteristics that differentiate them from mutual funds. The stock market itself is a marketplace for buying and selling securities but does not represent a pooled investment vehicle in the same way a mutual fund does. A certificate of deposit, on the other hand, is a type of savings account offered by banks that provides a fixed interest rate over a specified term, rather than a vehicle for pooling investments.