Investing in a mutual fund may seem tremendously overwhelming at first. Instead of choosing just one company and one stock (one price, one ticker, one exchange, etc.), you're suddenly charged with committing to a whole portfolio, choosing an investment approach, monitoring someone else's record, and getting to know a whole new vocabulary. Before you get mired in those details, you need to decide whether you want some help choosing your funds or whether you'd rather do it on your own. Like most everything in life, both paths have benefits and drawbacks.

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