Is it worth paying more for active investment management? Let's explore the intricacies of investing by comparing active management and index funds. We uncover the factors influencing fees and performance dynamics, gaining valuable insights for informed investment decisions.
What is better Active or Index Investing?
Have you ever glanced at a list of different managed funds and wondered why some have remarkably low fees compared to others? Chances are, the ones with lower fees are index funds, also known as passive funds.
Over the last couple of decades, index investing has become increasingly popular, with big players like Vanguard and Blackrock managing trillions of dollars in assets (as of 2022).
Before we dive into the reasons and consequences of this trend, let's break down the two main investment styles:
Active Investing:
Involves investment managers or private investors analysing securities, forming opinions on their value, and deciding which securities to include in the portfolio.
Investors pay fees for the manager's expertise.
Index Investing:
Builds a portfolio to mimic an index, like the ASX200 or S&P500.
Portfolio holdings mirror the securities and weightings of the relevant index.
Changes to the portfolio occur during set intervals or due to events like mergers.
So, why has index investing gained so much ground?
Lower Fees:
a. Index investments generally have much lower fees compared to active investments
Performance Challenges:
a. Active investments struggle to consistently outperform benchmark indexes over the long term.
b. The S&P Index Versus Active scorecard (SPIVA) reveals that a significant percentage of active managers underperform the index, even after factoring in fees.
For instance, at the end of 2022, 58% of Australian General Equity funds returned below the index. Over 5-, 10-, and 15-year horizons, the underperformance proportions were 81%, 78%, and 83%, respectively. Similar trends are observed in international equity markets.
While choosing index funds may seem logical, it's essential to consider their underlying premise. Returns come from income (like dividends) and changes in capital value over time. However, for the latter to happen, there must be market activity—investors trading securities. If everyone exclusively invested in indexes, the market would cease to exist.
Index investing doesn't screen shares, meaning investors get exposure to both 'good' and 'bad' companies. Also, there are no exclusions based on environmental, social, or governance (ESG) criteria, which some investors prioritise.
In the active versus index debate, there's no clear right or wrong. Many investor portfolios combine both approaches. Index funds or ETFs are often used for broad exposure, while active investment may be reserved for specialised exposure, such as smaller companies, property, or infrastructure.
Regardless of your choice—active, index, or a mix—the fundamental investing principles still apply: diversification and time in the market are key to building long-term wealth.
What you need to know
Lush Wealth - Financial Advice for Women provides and produces this information. The advice provided is general advice only as, in preparing it, we did not consider your investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs. Before making a financial decision based on this article, you should consider how appropriate the information is to your particular investment needs and objectives. You should also consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statement before making any decision relating to a financial product.