Foul Weather Fund

See: Fair Weather Fund.

Sometimes, in this world, financial markets don’t perform as well as we’d like them to. When economic conditions are weak, it can be tempting for investors to pull out of the markets, stash their cash under the mattress, and wait for sunnier times. But there is another option: the foul weather fund.

Foul weather funds are mutual funds that are specifically designed to perform at least as well as the market—and usually better—even when that market is behaving badly. These funds tend to play it safe: they stick to low-volatility, low-risk investments, like blue-chip stocks, or stocks that are running counter to market trends. In other words, they’re made to help us minimize our potential risk when the investment forecast says we’re in for financial rainy weather.