Skip to main content
Education only. ClearMoneySchool does not provide individualized investment, tax, or legal advice. Why we don't give advice →
S&P 5007000.00+0.50%NASDAQ 10025,000+0.50%DOW45,000+0.50%RUSSELL 20002400.00+0.50%VIX15.00+0.50%GOLD$3500.00+0.50%SILVER$40.00+0.50%BITCOIN$100,000+0.50%
Live · 60s
8 indices tracked · Quotes may be delayed up to 15 minutes
← Investing
Term 712 of 1419
▤1 min read★Investing

Interval fund.

A fund that does not trade on an exchange and buys back only a limited slice of shares at set intervals, usually each quarter.

In plain English

An interval fund is a registered closed-end fund that offers to repurchase a stated percentage of its shares on a fixed schedule, commonly quarterly. Outside those windows there is generally no way out, because the shares do not trade on an exchange. If shareholders request more than the offer covers, repurchases are prorated and each investor gets only part of what they asked for. That limited liquidity is the point, since the manager can hold private credit, real estate, or other assets that cannot be sold quickly. The investor is trading access to their money for access to those holdings.

Most useful ages
25 to 70

01Why it matters

If you need the money between windows, or everyone asks at once, you may not be able to get it out, which is a very different experience from selling a fund share on any Tuesday.

02The math, step by step

Say a fund offers to repurchase 5 percent of shares in a quarter and holders request 12 percent. Each request is filled at roughly 5 divided by 12, about 42 percent. Someone asking for 10,000 dollars receives about 4,200 and waits for the next window for the rest.

Illustrative example. The amounts here are hypothetical, chosen to show how the math works, not real quoted rates or figures.

03What this is NOT

Do not confuse with A regular mutual fund with quarterly statements

It is not daily-redeemable. A mutual fund will buy your shares back any business day. An interval fund only opens a window on schedule and can prorate it, so the timing of your exit is not your decision.

04Receipts

Every figure on this page is sourced to a primary document. Tap to open the original.

Found a mistake?
We log every correction on our public errata page.
Report it →
The Decoderby ClearMoneySchool

Plain-English answers from our glossary. Receipts included. Never advice.

Educational tool. Answers come only from ClearMoneySchool's published glossary and are not advice. Why we never give advice

Last updated August 23, 2026 · Drafted with AI assistance, not yet reviewed by a person