When choosing a mutual fund you need to at the very least compare management fees, fund management styles and returns. By reviewing these criteria you can see how mutual funds within the same sector compare and if they should be included in your portfolio. A mutual fund’s returns show the fund’s performance since its inception and are often broken down into months, year to date and years. Funds will also include a fixed benchmark related to their objective so that you can judge their performance to the market standard. By comparing returns between different mutual funds you can also see if one fund is managed better than another. Fund management style helps you choose a mutual fund since the management style determines how the basket of securities is selected. For example, growth managers look to invest in companies with high growth potential, while value managers invest in undervalued companies.