Julie Jason: Calling all mutual fund investors.

Do you invest in mutual funds? If you do, either through your retirement plan at work or directly, you are one of 100 million. That’s a big number, representing over two out of five households, according the Investment Company Institute.

Most of you (81 percent of households who own funds) own funds through your retirement plan at work. Moreover, it’s highly likely that you were introduced to mutual funds through your employersponsored retirement plan, such as a 401(k). If you first invested in a fund in 2010 or later, 78 percent of you did so through your plan at work. Only 22 percent bought the fund outside of an employer-sponsored plan, according to the ICI.

And, if you are a baby boomer, you represent the largest demographic (37 percent) of the households that own funds, followed by Generation X (33 per- cent) and millennials (20 percent). The silent generation (older than boomers) represent the remaining 10 percent.

If you are a regular reader of this column, you know that my personal interest is promoting financial literacy education for all, but most importantly for anyone who is retired — or wants to retire someday.

It turns out that most mutual fund households see things my way. That is, 92 percent are using mutual funds to save for retirement. Further, 75 percent reported that saving for retirement was the household’s primary financial goal, according to the ICI.

So, let’s talk about some- thing that should be near and dear to your heart: making sure that the mutual funds you own are right for you.

The regulatory body that oversees mutual funds, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, is looking into how you as an investor want to see data that will help you make that key decision of what funds to own.

The SEC published a request for comment on its website last June. Comments were open through October. You can see both the request and read letters from people who voiced their opinions. The request is here: sec.gov/rules/other/2018/33-10503.pdf, and about 100 comments are posted here: sec.gov/comments/s7-12-18/s71218.htm.

If you are game, you might give the SEC your responses to the 14 questions posted at sec.gov/ rules/other/2018/33-10503feedback-flier.html. (Even though it is past the Oct. 31 due date, the SEC normally considers late comments.) Here is a sample of the questions:

▶ How do you pick funds? What information do you want to know when you make an investment in a fund? What publications or websites do you review?

▶ Do you read current fund disclosure documents? Do you understand them? Is there information you do not receive from the fund that you would like to get?

▶ How well do current fund disclosures (such as a summary prospectus, prospectus or shareholder report) help you pick an investment? Is it easy to compare different funds?

▶ Do you use the advice of a financial professional? Does a financial professional’s help affect whether and how you use fund disclosures?

▶ Do fund disclosures make the fund’s strategies and the level of risk clear? How can funds improve these disclosures?

▶ Fund fees and expenses can significantly affect a fund’s investment returns over time. Do you think funds clearly disclose their fees and expenses?

▶ Do you consider the past performance of a fund when making an investment decision? How could we improve the presentation of performance information?

Here’s why this is important: First, answering these questions is a good exercise that will strengthen your understanding of funds. Second, the SEC needs your input. The agency’s goal is to make it easier for you to make the right choices through adequate and effective disclosure.

If you are a serious mutual fund investor — in my world, that is the 81 percent of households who invest in funds for retire- ment — you will want to do the reading and voice your opinion. The SEC believes that you want to both improve your experience as an investor and help you “make more informed investment decisions.”

If you would like to provide me with your thoughts on this topic, please take this short survey surveymonkey.com/r/ C8L6Y5N.

Julie Jason, JD, LLM, a personal money manager ( Jackson, Grant of Stamford) and author, welcomes your questions/comments (readers@ juliejason.com). Her awards include the 2018 Clarion Award, symbolizing excellence in clear, concise communications. Her latest book, a curated collection of Julie’s columns, is “Retire Securely: Insights on Money Management From an Award-Winning Financial Columnist.” To hear Julie speak, visit www.juliejason.com/events.