What Is a Commingled Trust Fund?

By Motley Fool Staff – Updated Feb 25, 2025 at 10:52 PM

Key Points

Commingled trust funds group assets into one strategy, overseen by the OCC, not the SEC.
They are cheaper than mutual funds but have less regulatory disclosure, increasing risk.
Only available through certain employer-sponsored retirement plans, not to all investors.

Retirement planning isn't for the faint of heart. You have many options to choose from -- sometimes, too many. Some people may want to consider commingled trust funds on top of typical retirement plans.

Loading paragraph...

Hand holds pen near jar of coins labeled Retirement. — Image source: Getty Images

Loading image...

Loading paragraph...

Loading pitch...

Loading paragraph...

Loading pitch...

Loading paragraph...

8 Strategies to Save for Retirement

You know you need to save for retirement. Here are some strategiess.

Everything You Need to Know About Setting Up a Trust Fund

Starting a trust fund can pay for your children's education, save on taxes, or offer a flexible alternative to a will.

How Much Do I Need to Retire Comfortably?

The end of work doesn't mean the bills stop. How much should you save for a great retirement?

7 Steps to Retiring Early

We offer seven key steps to an early and comfortable retirement.

Loading hub_pages...

As the value of the investment grows, so do the funds that are part of the commingled trust fund. Just like you'd split a dinner bill with friends, the various funds generally split the proceeds by their contribution to the overall fund.

So, for example, if the retirement plans each contributed 5% of the money to the commingled trust fund, they'd each be entitled to 5% of the profits from the shared investment. They also share the cost of growing the pool of funds in much the same way.

Loading paragraph...

Loading pitch...

The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.