What type of companies create funds that they sell to investors?

Mutual funds are investment funds created by companies that pool money from multiple investors to invest in various securities, such as stocks, bonds, or other assets. The primary purpose of mutual funds is to provide investors with a diversified portfolio and professional management that individual investors might not be able to achieve on their own.

These companies offer shares in the fund to investors, allowing them to buy into the collective investment. The funds are typically managed by investment professionals who make decisions about how to allocate the assets based on the fund's investment objectives. This structure enables investors to gain exposure to a broad range of asset classes while benefiting from the expertise of seasoned managers.

In contrast, credit unions and commercial banks are financial institutions that primarily offer banking services and do not create investment funds for resale to investors. Pension funds, while they do pool money for investment purposes, are designed specifically to manage retirement savings for employees and are not available for general public investment in the same way mutual funds are.