Distribution is a term that refers to the process of disbursing or sharing out assets, either from a fund or security, or from an individual account. This term encompasses a range of activities depending on the asset being distributed.

Mutual funds are one type of security that regularly distribute assets, and these distributions usually include net capital gains earned from portfolio sales as well as dividends and interests from those assets. Through these distributions, mutual funds investors receive a regular payout of the fund’s profits to them.

When it comes to securities, like stocks and bonds, the distribution refers to payments of interests, principal, and dividends from the issuer of the security to the investors. These may be distributed every quarter, depending on how the security is structured.

Retirement accounts also have distributions as, upon reaching certain age, the account holder is required to do minimum distributions—which are a mandatory withdrawal of the funds.

Lump-sum distributions, meanwhile, refer to a cash payment made in one lump sum rather than over a series of payments. Such distributions are common with insurance policy payouts or in severance packages, for instance.

In addition to these individual distributions, investors need to be aware that distributions have tax implications, especially when it comes to dividend payments. Through their distributions, investors open themselves up to taxation and therefore need to factor in potential tax liabilities when projecting their investment returns.

Overall, asset distributions are an integral part of the investing landscape and it is important for investors to be aware of the different types of distributions, the impacts they can have on their wealth, as well as the tax-related implications for the distribution of certain assets. By doing so and managing the different aspects of distributions properly, investors can maximize their returns and benefit from a wide variety of different investment opportunities.