Investors should avoid ETF trap
Investors should avoid the exchange-traded fund (ETF) trap as the move to passive strategies, with an overexposure to overtly-similar passive investments, continues and inflows reach an all-time high, according to an online trading platform, Bell Direct.
According to Bell Direct’s chief executive, Arnie Selvarajah investors should be warned against blind over-allocation and recognise that not all index-driven products are created equal.
“An issue we are now seeing emerge is an overexposure to overtly-similar passive strategies, leaving investors poorly-diversified and their portfolio performance at risk,” he said.
“For the ill-informed investor, unquestioned allocation to ETFs is a common trap.
“Attention must be given to the different styles and exposures of various ETF products, and investors should understand that passive alone will not deliver the desired return outcomes.”
According to Bell Direct, which has just launched ETF Filter, the current number of over 200 exchange traded products on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) made it very hard for the average retail investor to compare the products and therefore investors would need better tools.
“The trend towards actively-managed and smart-beta ETFs is just another reason why investors need tools to simply compare products,” he said.
“The world of investing is continually innovating and changing, and today’s investor needs to be able to make smarter investment decisions.”
Recommended for you
Platinum Asset Management has put its two closed-end funds under strategic review in a bid to reduce the share price discount to pre-tax NTA and maximise shareholder value.
In the latest Meet the Manager profile, Money Management speaks with Michael Skinner, founder and managing director at Blackwattle Investment Partners.
Perpetual has seen AUM rise 6 per cent in the last quarter but the departure of a longstanding JOHCM fund manager led to outflows of $2.2 billion from his strategy.
Global fixed income fund Bentham Global Opportunities has been added to several major platforms, enabling it to be accessed more easily by financial advisers.
