In the United States, mutual funds play an important role in U.S. household finances. At the end of 2016, 22% of household financial assets were held in mutual funds. Their role in retirement savings was even more significant, since mutual funds accounted for roughly half of the assets in individual retirement accounts, 401(k)s and other similar retirement plans. In total, mutual funds are large investors in stocks and bonds.

Unit investment trusts (UITs) are issued to the public only once when they are created. UITs generally have a limited life span, established at creation. Investors can redeem shares directly with the fund at any time (similar to an open-end fund) or wait to redeem them upon the trust’s termination. Less commonly, they can sell their shares in the open market.

Investment work provides high levels of responsibility, good promotional opportunities and impressive financial rewards for the most successful employees. The working hours may be less demanding than other investment roles but they are still long compared with other careers.

This role tends to be relatively high stress due to the uncertain nature of financial markets, but fund managers utilize their financial industry expertise and market knowledge to develop portfolios that can weather times of uncertainty or upheavals in the market. Fund managers also ensure that they follow industry regulations and best practices in investing and reporting.

Many of the most successful fund managers are able to run their own firms, which can handle billions of dollars in assets. The most traditional route to entering the financial services sector profession is through investment banking or joining a firm as an analyst or trader. Most of the highly successful investment banks recruit from the nation’s most prestigious universities and business schools. The interest in these positions is so high even among these limited pools of candidates that they almost never accept applications from outside these select environments.

If you’re living with high levels of stress, you’re putting your entire well-being at risk. Stress wreaks havoc on your emotional equilibrium, as well as your physical health. It narrows your ability to think clearly, function effectively, and enjoy life.

Our body’s stress response is really designed for the people we once were; less sophisticated hunter-gatherer type tribes people whose major sources of stress are where the next meal will come from and how to avoid predators.

On the actual work itself, it’s always a challenge to outperform benchmarks and if you’re interested in the markets at all, it can be very stimulating. It never ceases to amaze me how much money we have control over.

That said, you have to come into this industry with your eyes open. It’s not as simple as being given a boatload of money and deciding what asset classes to get into.

Depending on the level and frequency of stress, some of these symptoms can become serious and cause a myriad of problems. Stress affects people both mentally and physically. The heart rate increases, headaches can develop, and often people become irritated much more easily. Individuals who work in high stress or dangerous jobs as well as those who are employed at a place where there is a high pressure environment are often prone to experiencing stress. Work environment, coworker relations, and customer pressures can all contribute to stress at work.

These elevated stress levels can lead to a range of symptoms in staff. Each person responds differently, but each person does respond. In some, excessive entertainment budgets and clients that need wining and dining lead to alcohol or substance abuse. In others, a cigarette provides a regular kick and will one day need to be kicked too.

Others choose to take regular steps to ease the stress on their minds and bodies. Some people will choose yoga or exercise as their means of cooling down. For some people this entails daily or weekly classes, while for others everything is saved up for a yoga retreat or a freediving holiday in some exotic, beautiful and quiet island in the sun. We each have our own tonics for life!