Managed Funds
Managed Funds are usually (though not always) marketed by life assurance companies. A managed fund will invest in a broad range of assets including equities, bonds, property and cash. The manager will alter the allocation of the assets according to economic conditions to maximise returns whilst at the same time minimising risk.
In an investment and financial planning context, funds are generally ‘collective investments'. That is to say that an individual's money is ‘pooled' with those of many other investors to invest across a wide range of shares or other investment media thus giving a spread of risk that would normally be unobtainable to one individual.
Examples of commonly used funds in the UK would be Unit Trusts; Open-Ended Investment Companies (OEICS); Investment Trusts, Life Funds and Pension Funds.