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Fidelity Money Market Funds – Choosing the Best One

Fidelity money market funds are an important cog in the wheel of investment products available to you. Although such funds may appear simple investments, you need to look beyond just current yield and expense ratio to figure out the best Fidelity money market fund for your hard-earned dollars. This article helps you choose the best Fidelity money market fund for your situation.

Fidelity money market funds are important investment vehicles that provide ready access to cash and relative safety.

The above attributes enable investors to temporarily park cash in such mutual funds before putting them to work in long-term investments.

Cash parked in Fidelity money market funds usually generates higher income than bank accounts. Unlike deposits in bank accounts, deposits in these mutual funds are not federally insured.

How are investors in Fidelity Money Market funds protected?

The U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulates the investments owned by Fidelity money market funds to minimize investors’ risks

Generally speaking, the SEC permits Fidelity money market funds to invest in debt securities issued by government entities or corporations that mature in 397 days or less.

The SEC also requires the money market fund’s mix of debt securities to meet specific conditions. The fund must maintain an overall weighted average maturity of 60 days or less. Additionally, it must allocate stipulated percentages of assets to specific buckets such as Weekly Liquid Assets and Daily Liquid Assets depending on the type of the fund.

The SEC regulations collectively seek to ensure the fund’s investors have ready access to the money they invest. The regulations also seek to minimize the odds of investors losing principal or interest in case interest rates change or the borrower defaults.

Learn more: How you can reduce risk in your investments at Fidelity

What are the different types of Fidelity Money Market funds?

Fidelity money market funds fall into one of three major categories based on the types of investments owned by the fund:

Fidelity money market funds - benefits and categories

Fidelity money market funds come in three categories. Each category has its unique strong attribute.

Fidelity government money market funds primarily invest in debt issued by the U. S. Treasury and U. S. Government sponsored-entities like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Fidelity prime money market funds, also known as general-purpose money market funds, invest in any eligible money market investment denominated in U. S. dollars including short-term debt issued by corporations and certificates of deposit.

Fidelity municipal money market funds primarily invest in debt issued by municipalities to earn income interest that is exempt from federal income tax.

The Fidelity prime money market funds and Fidelity municipal money market funds come in two types, Retail and Institutional, with these key differences.

Retail money market mutual funds are essentially limited individual investors (also called ‘natural persons’). These funds often to seek to maintain a stable $1.00 net asset value (NAV). If the fund’s ability to convert its holdings to cash falls below required minimums because of market conditions or other factors, the funds may impose a fee when shares are sold (also called liquidity fees) or may suspend share sales temporarily (also called redemption gates).

As implied in the name, Institutional money market mutual funds are held by institutional investors. They typically have minimum investment requirements in excess of $1,000,000. These funds transact at a floating NAV that is priced to 4 decimal places, e.g. $1.0000, and will experience fluctuations from time to time. Investors in these funds too can be subject to liquidity fees and redemption gates.

Fidelity government money market funds, in contrast, are available to both retail and institutional investors. Additionally, investors in these funds are not subject to liquidity fees, redemption gates, or a floating NAV.

Learn more: How to cut your expenses in managing your money at Fidelity

How to Choose the Best Fidelity Money Market Fund?

Although money market funds may appear simple investments, you need to look beyond just current yield and expense ratio to figure out the right Fidelity money market fund for your hard-earned dollars. It is useful to evaluate Fidelity money market funds on four dimensions to determine the best fit.

After-tax income: Income from different types of money market funds is treated differently for tax purposes. Dividends from government money market funds are totally or partially exempt from state income taxes while those from national municipal money market funds are exempt from federal income taxes.

Income from state-specific municipal money market funds is exempt from both federal and state income taxes. AMT tax-free money market funds seek to provide income that is sheltered from the alternative minimum tax.

You can maximize your after-tax income from a Fidelity money market fund by considering factors such as your marginal tax bracket and state of residence.

Learn more: How you can increase returns in your Fidelity account

Account type: Qualified accounts such as Individual Retirement Accounts provide tax-deferred growth. Taxable money market funds are often a better choice than tax-exempt money market funds for investing monies in qualified accounts.

Risk: While the probability of money market funds breaking the $1.00 NAV mark is remote, there have been a few instances. Fidelity U. S. Treasury money market fund is the safest of the lot while Fidelity U. S. Government Reserves and Fidelity Government Money Market Fund are a close second. Money market funds investing in commercial paper or debt issued by municipalities tend to carry a bit more risk.

Fund features: From applicability and usage perspectives, minimum amounts for opening an account, maintaining the account, and writing checks need to be considered.

List of Fidelity Prime Money Market Funds

Retail investors can choose from the following Fidelity prime money market funds. Among them Fidelity Prime Money Market Fund (SPRXX) is popular and has no minimum investment requirement.

Fidelity Money Market Funds Ticker Minimum Investment Net Expense Ratio* 7-Day Yield*
Fidelity Money Market Fund SPRXX $0 0.42% 1.49%
Fidelity Money Market Fund – Premium Class FZDXX $100,000 0.30% 1.61%
Fidelity Money Market – Money Market Portfolio – Class I FMPXX $1,000,000 0.18% 1.73%
Fidelity Money Market – Money Market Portfolio – Institutional Class FNSXX $9,999,999.99 0.14% 1.77%

*Net expense ratio and 7-day yield as of December 14, 2019

Additionally, the following Fidelity Prime Money Market funds are available to institutional investors: Fidelity Money Market Prime Money Market Portfolio – CL I (FIDXX), Fidelity Money Market Prime Reserves Portfolio – Class I (FDPXX), Fidelity Money Market Prime Money Market Portfolio – Institutional CL (FIPXX), and Fidelity Money Market Prime Reserves Portfolio – Institutional Class (FHPXX).

List of Fidelity Government Money Market Funds

The following Fidelity government money market funds are available to retail as well as institutional investors. Among them Fidelity Government Money Market Fund (SPAXX) is popular and has no minimum investment requirement.

Fidelity Money Market Funds Ticker Minimum Investment Net Expense Ratio* 7-Day Yield*
Fidelity Government Cash Reserves FDRXX $0 0.38% 1.34%
Fidelity Government Money Market Fund SPAXX $0 0.42% 1.27%
Fidelity Treasury Money Market Fund FZFXX $0 0.42% 1.27%
Fidelity Treasury Only Money Market Fund FDLXX $0 0.42% 1.28%
Fidelity Government Money Market Fund – Premium Class FZCXX $100,000 0.32% 1.37%
Fidelity Money Market Government Portfolio – Class I FIGXX $1,000,000 0.18% 1.51%
Fidelity Money Market Treasury Only – Class I FSIXX $1,000,000 0.18% 1.49%
Fidelity Money Market Treasury Portfolio – Class I FISXX $1,000,000 0.18% 1.51%
Fidelity Money Market Government Portfolio – Institutional Class FRGXX $9,999,999.99 0.14% 1.55%
Fidelity Money Market Treasury Only – Institutional Class FRSXX $9,999,999.99 0.14% 1.53%
Fidelity Money Market Treasury Portfolio – Institutional Class FRBXX $9,999,999.99 0.14% 1.55%

*Net expense ratio and 7-day yield as of December 14, 2019

The Fidelity Flex Government Money Market Fund (FLGXX) is closed to new investors.

List of Fidelity Municipal Money Market Funds

The following Fidelity municipal money market funds are available to retail investors. Among them Fidelity Municipal Money Market Fund (FTEXX) is popular and has no minimum investment requirement.

Fidelity Money Market Funds Ticker Minimum Investment Net Expense Ratio* 7-Day Yield*
Fidelity Arizona Municipal Money Market Fund FSAXX $0 0.50% 0.66%
Fidelity California AMT Tax-Free Money Market Fund FSPXX $25,000 0.30% 0.73%
Fidelity California AMT Tax-Free Money Market Fund – Institutional Class FSBXX $1,000,000 0.20% 0.82%
Fidelity California Municipal Money Market Fund FCFXX $0 0.50% 0.64%
Fidelity Connecticut Municipal Money Market Fund FCMXX $0 0.49% 0.69%
Fidelity Investments Money Market Tax Exempt – Class I FTCXX $1,000,000 0.18% 0.99%
Fidelity Massachusetts AMT Tax-Free Money Market Fund FMSXX $25,000 0.30% 0.86%
Fidelity Massachusetts AMT Tax-Free Money Market Fund – Institutional Class FMAXX $1,000,000 0.20% 0.96%
Fidelity Massachusetts Municipal Money Market Fund FDMXX $0 0.49% 0.71%
Fidelity Michigan Municipal Money Market Fund FMIXX $0 0.55% 0.60%
Fidelity Municipal Money Market Fund FTEXX $0 0.42% 0.81%
Fidelity New Jersey AMT Tax-Free Money Market Fund FSJXX $25,000 0.30% 0.80%
Fidelity New Jersey AMT Tax-Free Money Market Fund – Institutional Class FSKXX $1,000,000 0.20% 0.90%
Fidelity New Jersey Municipal Money Market Fund FNJXX $0 0.51% 0.70%
Fidelity New York AMT Tax-Free Money Market Fund FSNXX $25,000 0.30% 0.84%
Fidelity New York AMT Tax-Free Money Market Fund – Institutional Class FNKXX $1,000,000 0.20% 0.94%
Fidelity New York Municipal Money Market Fund FNYXX $0 0.49% 0.67%
Fidelity Ohio Municipal Money Market Fund FOMXX $0 0.53% 0.71%
Fidelity Pennsylvania Municipal Money Market Fund FPTXX $0 0.50% 0.65%
Fidelity Tax-Exempt Money Market Fund FMOXX $0 0.45% 0.72%
Fidelity Tax-Exempt Money Market Fund – Premium Class FZEXX $100,000 0.33% 0.84%

*Net expense ratio and 7-day yield as of December 14, 2019

The bottom line on Fidelity Money Market Funds

Fidelity money market funds are useful investment vehicles that often provide higher income than bank accounts. Since they provide ready access to cash, investors can use them to hold money that may be needed at a short notice. Investors with a low tolerance for volatility are likely to appreciate the stability they provide. Investors with long investment time horizons can also use Fidelity money market funds to diversify and stabilize their portfolios. Investors should consider after-tax income, account type, risk, and fund features to determine the best Fidelity money market fund for their particular situation.

Learn more:

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Performance of AlphaProfit's Fidelity fund model portfolios
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