Mutual funds are the dominant form of investment companies in the United States today, with approximately $7 trillion in assets under management. Over the past half century an important body of academic research has addressed various issues about the nature of these companies. These works focus on a wide range of topics, including fund performance, investment style, and expense issues, among others. MUTUAL FUNDS: Fifty Years of Research Findings is designed for the academic researcher interested in the various issues surrounding mutual funds and for the practitioner interested in funds for investment purposes. The authors briefly trace the historical evolution of funds, present important aspects of