How to Beat 86% of Investors with 1% of the Effort

May 27, 2021

In most areas of life, the more you spend on a product the better it is. Take cars, for example: A $90,000 Tesla is undeniably nicer than a $30,000 Toyota. 

Many people apply the same logic to investing: the more you pay for an investment manager, the better they must be. 

But with investments, that rule does not apply. In fact, the funds that charge the most tend to perform the worst. (source)

Investing Choices
When choosing to invest you have two high-level options:

Actively Managed Funds: These rely on the skill and expertise of a team of investment professionals to choose which companies to own in order to generate superior returns (i.e., beat the market).

Actively managed funds cost ~1% per year (source), a fee known as the “expense ratio.” But, the thinking goes, the managers’ stock-picking skills will provide outperformance, thus justifying the cost.

Passively Managed Funds: Instead of trying to beat the index (for example, the S&P 500), these funds simply own all the stocks that make up the S&P 500, mirroring its performance.

Since no managers are employed to research which stocks to own, these funds cost less. The typical expense ratio is ~0.20% but can be as low as 0.02% (source)

What’s The Evidence?
The vast majority of actively managed funds do not beat their benchmark:

    Across the US, over the past 20 years 86% of active funds have failed to beat their benchmark. (source)

    The same pattern is also evident within international stock markets and the bond market. (source)

     

    What Should Investors Do?
    Instead of picking funds that aim to outperform (but typically do not), investors should utilize passive funds. This advice is not only supported by empirical evidence but also many well-known investors:

    Purchasing an investment is not like buying a car. 

    “In investing, you get what you don’t pay for. Costs matter…intelligent investors will use low-cost index funds to build a diversified portfolio of stocks and bonds.”

    – Jack Bogle

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    The information, analysis, and opinions expressed herein are for general and educational purposes only. Nothing contained in this commentary is intended to constitute legal, tax, accounting, securities, or investment advice, nor an opinion regarding the appropriateness of any investment, nor a solicitation of any type. The material has been gathered from sources believed to be reliable, however Think Different Financial Planning cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information, and certain information presented here may have been condensed or summarized from its original source. All opinions and views constitute our judgments as of the date of writing and are subject to change at any time without notice.

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    Disclaimer: Investments are not guaranteed and are subject to investment risk, including possible loss of the principal amount invested. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. All allocations and opinions expressed are as of the date of this presentation and subject to change. The information contained herein does not constitute investment advice or a solicitation. Information obtained from 3rd parties is believed to be accurate, but has not been independently verified.

    The opinions expressed in this article are for general informational purposes only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual or on any specific security. The material is presented solely for information purposes and has been gathered from sources believed to be reliable, however Think Different Financial Planning cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information, and certain information presented here may have been condensed or summarized from its original source. Think Different Financial Planning does not provide tax or legal advice, and nothing contained in these materials should be taken as such. As always please remember investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Think Different Financial Planning and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. No advice may be rendered by Think Different Financial Planning unless a client service agreement is in place.