What is a mutual fund?

A mutual fund is indeed an investment vehicle that aggregates capital from numerous investors to create a collective pool of money. This pooled capital is then professionally managed to purchase a diverse set of securities, which typically include stocks, bonds, or other assets, allowing investors to gain exposure to a diversified portfolio without having to select individual investments themselves.

The structure of mutual funds provides advantages such as diversification, professional management, and liquidity, making them appealing to a wide range of investors. The pooling of resources also helps in reducing investment risks associated with individual securities. Overall, this approach enables smaller investors to participate in markets that would otherwise be difficult or costly to access.

The other options describe different financial concepts and instruments but do not accurately define what a mutual fund is, which is why they are not correct in this context. For example, bonds and trading strategies pertain to different aspects of finance, and focusing exclusively on real estate neglects the broader investment opportunities that mutual funds represent.