A mutual fund that invests exclusively in Ginnie Mae certificates and passes through the interest payments to owners of the fund's shares. Because the fund continually invests in new certificates, the yield on the fund varies over time. In addition, the value of a fund will change as long-term interest rates change. The primary advantage of buying a fund over buying Ginnie Mae certificates directly is that the fund is sold to investors in smaller denominations. Furthermore, a fund's investments are spread over a large number of certificates so that prepayment of principal is not as much of a problem. The main disadvantage of a fund is that it may entail a sales fee of from 4 to 6% of the amount invested and will charge an annual investment fee.
