When we talk about investment policy in a fund, we are referring to the investment vocation of an investment fund (fixed income, equity, mixed fixed income, mixed equity, absolute return, etc.). This policy defines all the criteria that determine how much, when and where to invest. Before being offered, each investment fund defines what its investment policy is in detail.
The investment policy is always clearly stated in the fund prospectus. The prospectus for each investment fund is a mandatory document that must contain details of all relevant information in relation to it.
Depending on the investment policy, the funds are classified as:
Equity funds: those that invest most of their assets in equities. Within equity funds, we could establish subtypes based on sectors, geographical areas, level of risk, and more.
Fixed income funds: those that invest most of their capital in fixed income assets, such as bonds, promissory notes or bills. They also include monetary funds.
Mixed funds: those that combine investment in equities with investment in fixed income.
Guaranteed funds: those that have a pre-established guaranteed amount that the investor will receive at maturity.
Umbrella funds: those that are made up of other sub-funds. As they are made up of different funds, there is also a combination of different investment policies.
Global funds: these types of funds do not have a defined investment policy. Its managers have freedom of investment in terms of geographic areas or types of assets.
The fund's investment policy allows investors to know the risks of the investment, the target return, the time horizon, the composition of the portfolio or the type of financial product. All these factors will allow the investor to better understand the investment and thus maximise profits and minimise risks.