Fidelity Enhances Bond, Money Market Products

In an effort to enhance bond and money market mutual fund product lines for individual investors, Boston-based Fidelity Investments is on the move to make them more accessible to individual investors.

As of Sept. 1, Fidelity will lower the minimum investment for its U.S. Bond Index Fund from $100,000 to $10,000. At the same time, the fund's expense cap of 0.32% will be fixed. Any increase or decrease in that cap would require a vote by fund's board of trustees.

"We believe that dramatically lowering the minimum investment and contractually locking in the fund's expenses will provide our retail investors with yet another attractive option in what is already a successful bond fund line," said John F. Sweeney, senior vice president, Mutual Fund Product Management, Fidelity Personal Investments.

Separately, the firm has decided to rename some of the "Spartan" money market and bond funds with the Fidelity name and make the minimum initial investment $25,000.

Five of the Spartan municipal money market funds will have a new name, effective on Aug. 15, and all five will change their minimum investment levels from $100,000 to $25,000.

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