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Making a Case for Mutual Funds

Even during challenging economic conditions, mutual funds can help you work toward your long-term investment goals.

While the overall U.S. economy realized better-than-expected stock-market returns for 2010, with the broad-market Standard & Poor’s 500^® (S&P 500) Index* returning 15.06%, the road to economic recovery has been slow and filled with obstacles. Investors are constantly bombarded with news coverage about market uncertainty, leaving many wondering what they should do with their money. In an era in which no investment has been immune from the effects of the global economic downturn, mutual funds still offer some significant benefits.

• Diversification. Diversified mutual funds invest in a wide variety of investments to help smooth out the wild swings of any one investment. In addition, asset allocation and balanced funds select from various asset classes and types of investments to accomplish the proper risk-return allocation for the portfolio. Trying to attain this degree of diversification on your own would be costly and time consuming.
• Professional management. Mutual fund investors rely on professional fund managers for research and trading efficiency. Few investors have the time or expertise to successfully research and choose securities to meet their evolving investment goals. Pooled resources allow the fund managers to make large trades that result in a cost-effective, diversified portfolio.
• Transparency. Transparency of information is built into all mutual funds. Mutual funds are highly regulated and are mandated by law to keep shareholders informed. Shareholders receive information about activity in a fund through regular statements, reports and updates including transaction and tax information.
• Convenience and liquidity. Investors can get started with a relatively low investment, and open-end mutual funds allow you to continue investing at any point in the future. Mutual funds offer investors liquidity so they can redeem shares at any time.

Important Considerations

Investing in mutual funds involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Your shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. There is no assurance that the investment objective of any fund will be achieved. You should carefully consider a fund's investment objectives, risks, fees, charges and expenses before investing any money. To obtain this and other information on Nationwide Funds, please call 1-800-848-0920 to request a summary prospectus and/or a prospectus, or download a summary prospectus and/or a prospectus at nationwide.com/mutualfunds. Please read it carefully before investing any money.

Why Nationwide Funds^®?
You and your investment professional can use Nationwide Funds’ wide range of options designed for various risk and return profiles to tailor an investment strategy around your specific needs. Nationwide Funds offer an objective manager-of-managers platform with special expertise in asset allocation funds. Work with your investment professional to find out how mutual funds may help you achieve your investment goals.

*Standard & Poor’s 500^® (S&P 500) Index: An unmanaged, market capitalization-weighted index of 500 widely held stocks of large-cap U.S. companies that gives a broad look at how the stock prices of those companies have performed.