What kind of fund collects and invests income for later payments to eligible recipients?

A pension fund is specifically designed to collect and invest the income generated from employee contributions and employer matches over time, with the goal of providing retirement benefits to eligible recipients when they retire. The money accumulated in a pension fund is usually invested in various assets, including stocks, bonds, and real estate, to grow the fund's value over time and ensure that there are sufficient resources to meet future obligations to retirees. This long-term investment strategy is crucial for ensuring that the fund can provide stable and adequate payments to retirees in the future.

In contrast, an index fund is a type of mutual fund or exchange-traded fund that aims to replicate the performance of a specific index of stocks or bonds, and its primary goal is capital appreciation, not specifically for retirement payments. A mutual fund pools money from many investors to purchase a diversified portfolio of stocks, bonds, or other securities, again not primarily focused on providing income for future payments. A savings fund typically refers to a general account where individuals save money and earn interest, but it does not specifically manage investments to provide structured payouts to recipients later on. Therefore, a pension fund is distinct in its purpose and structure for providing benefits to retirees.