Alright, so you're tempted by the great returns the stock market and other asset classes have to offer. Trouble is, you don't know these markets well enough and don't want to end up burning your fingers. This is where mutual funds present a great investment alternative that offers a wide range of asset classes--stocks, debt, gold, real estate. By investing in an MF scheme, you are transferring the task of earning good returns on your money to a fund manager attached to the asset management company (AMC).