Buy and Hold, Except Mutual Funds Don't
Watching all of this stock market volatilty every day has to get you wondering about who is doing all this trading. Of course, mutual funds always tell investors to buy and hold; yet when you look at how they behave, they simply don't do it.
Mutual fund managers on average turnover their portfolios at rate of between 80% to 100% a year, which means they basically sell all of the securities in the portfolio every year. And in these markets, you can be pretty sure that the average turnover ratio is going to climb even higher. So although their marketing material encourages investors to buy and hold, the managers certainly don't practice what they preach.
What they really mean is buy and hold their mutual fund, while they trade your retirement savings like crazy. And as they buy and sell during these volatile days, they may well be recognizing lots of losses in your portfolio, as opposed to simply owning a good collection of companies and riding out this cycle.
If you're tired of all these ups and downs, as an investor you should consider taking affirmative steps to avoid participating in the trading. That means reviewing the funds you own and looking at their turnover ratio. In general, if you've got turnover of more than 25% in a portfolio, you've got a fund with a lot of trading. And you have to wonder, if these managers aren't confident enough to hold most of their stocks for at least a year, why should you be confident holding their mutual fund?
- Now, fund companies will tell you that turnover of as much as 50% is considered low, because of course that is below the average. But ask yourself if selling half of what you own every year sounds like low turnover? Of course not. What they consider low is still way too high. The entire industry is far too focused on short term gains in the stock market. In general, fund managers don't implement the advice they give to mutual fund investors, which is to sit tight and not panic. The professionals seem to be panicking.
- Of course, you have to do the research on what you're buying so you understand how the fund is structured and the overall risks. Turnover is just one factor to consider, but it's an important one.
Bottom line. If you don't want to participate in all this trading, make sure your investments are reflecting your buy and hold philosophy.
Above material does not constitute investment advice nor does it constitute a complete discussion of the issues identified. Consult your individual financial advisor prior to making any financial decisions. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns, and all investing involves the risk of loss.
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