This type of investing offsets the risk of equity investing while living a little on the edge in hopes of great payoffs down the road while enjoying the security of debt funds-literally metal bearing China offering the best of both worlds to investors.Each of the types of investing mentioned above has pros and cons and the answer of which is the best is a question that only you can answer. This is your retirement, future, nest egg, or kid's college fund so only you can decide what an acceptable risk is. If you are willing to gamble equity funds might be best, if you'd prefer a surer bet, then debt funds might be best. If you have a little bit of adventure but don't want to 'risk it all' then perhaps the balance fund is your best destination.Price DeterminationOnce you have a basic understanding of the available options, the next step lies in understanding the price and how it is determined. The income of mutual funds is generally acquired in the form of interest, dividends, and trading. In debt securities however interest income is all but assured. This is not the case when dealing with equity stocks and the dividend in these situations depends on the profits earned by the company among other factors. When investing in debt funds it may be that your best interest would not be a mutual fund. If you can afford the investment without the mutual fund you should determine which would be best for your situation. You want to choose the route that will offer you the higher reward. Keep in mind that market trends do not carry quite the weight when dealing with debt funds, as they will with equity funds.Equity funds offer trading that is based on the perception of the fund manager as to what the market is preparing to do and the current risks vs. the potential reward. There are many things that will affect a stocks future from legislation to competition and millions of things in between that aren't limited to technological advances and scientific breakthroughs. Thus the higher risk nature of this particular type of investment.Understanding NAVThe first thing I should do here is explain what NAV stands for: the Net Asset Value of mutual funds. This value is declared on a daily basis and is the simple difference between assets and liabilities of the fund at the end of each day. The value is explained per unit and this is how the purchase price of the units are determined. The Investment DecisionWith so many mutual funds on the market you really need to study the funds you are considering before you take the plunge so to speak (as this is definitely the opposite of your goal)? Seriously, what parameters should you base your decision on? While there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to investing, the following advice might point you in the right direction.The investors approach. It really helps when investing if you are a very self-aware type of person.