Mutual funds are considered relatively safe investments. However, mutual funds are considered a bad investment when investors consider certain negative factors to be important, such as high expense ratios charged by the fund, various hidden front-end, and back-end load charges, lack of control over investment decisions, and diluted returns.
Key Takeaways
- Mutual funds are largely a safe investment, seen as being a good way for investors to diversify with minimal risk.
- But there are circ*mstances in which a mutual fund is not a good choice for a market participant, especially when it comes to fees.
- Fees include a high annual expense ratio or the amount the fund charges its investors annually to cover the costs ofoperations, and load charges, or a fee paid when an investor buys or sells shares of a fund.
- Mutual funds are managed and therefore not ideal for investors who would rather have total control over their holdings.
- Due to rules and regulations, many funds may generate diluted returns, which could limit potential profits.
High Annual Expense Ratios
Mutual funds are required to disclose how much they charge their investors annually in percentage terms to compensate for the costs of running investment businesses. A mutual fund's gross return is reduced by the expense ratio percentage, which could be as high as 3%. However, according to fund manager Vanguard, industrywide expense ratios averaged 0.54% in 2020.
Historically, the majority of mutual funds generate market returns if they follow a relatively stable fund such as the S&P 500 benchmark. However, excessive annual fees can make mutual funds an unattractive investment, as investors can generate better returns by simply investing in broad market securities or exchange-traded funds.
Load Charges
Many mutual funds have different classes of shares that come along with front- or back-end loads, which represent charges imposed on investors at the time of buying or selling shares of a fund. Certain back-end loads represent contingent deferred sales charges that can decline over several years. Also, many classes of shares of funds charge 12b-1 fees at the time of sale or purchase. Load fees can range from 2% to 4%, and they can also eat into returns generated by mutual funds, making them unattractive for investors who wish to trade their shares often.
Lack of Control
Because mutual funds do all the picking and investing work, they may be inappropriate for investors who want to have complete control over their portfolios and be able to rebalance their holdings on a regular basis. Because many mutual funds' prospectuses contain caveats that allow them to deviate from their stated investment objectives, mutual funds can be unsuitable for investors who wish to have consistent portfolios. When picking a mutual fund, it's important to research the fund's investment strategy and see which index fund it may be tracking to see if it's safe.
Returns Dilution
Not all mutual funds are bad, but they can be heavily regulated and are not allowed to have concentrated holdings exceeding 25% of their overall portfolio. Because of this, mutual funds may tend to generate diluted returns, as they cannot concentrate their portfolios on one best-performing holding as an individual stock would. That being said, it can obviously be hard to predict which stock will do well, meaning most investors who want to diversify their portfolios are partial to mutual funds.
Advisor Insight
Patrick Strubbe, ChFC, CLU, RFC
Preservation Specialists, LLC, Columbia, SC
Generally speaking, most mutual funds are invested in securities such as stocks and bonds where, no matter how conservative the investment style, there will be some risk of losing your principal. In many instances, this is not a risk you should be taking on, especially if you have been saving up for a specific purchase or life goal. Mutual funds may also not be the best option for more sophisticated investors with solid financial knowledge and a substantial amount of capital to invest. In such cases, the portfolio may benefit from greater diversification, such as alternative investments or more active management. Broadening your horizon beyond mutual funds may yield lower fees, greater control, and/or more comprehensive diversification.
FAQs
Lack of Control: Mutual funds may not be suitable for investors who want complete control over their portfolios, as they do all the picking and investing work. In addition, many mutual funds may deviate from their stated investment objectives, making them unsuitable for those who prefer consistent portfolios.
When should you not invest in mutual funds? ›
However, mutual funds are considered a bad investment when investors consider certain negative factors to be important, such as high expense ratios charged by the fund, various hidden front-end, and back-end load charges, lack of control over investment decisions, and diluted returns.
Are mutual funds a bad investment? ›
All investments carry some risk, but mutual funds are typically considered a safer investment than purchasing individual stocks. Since they hold many company stocks within one investment, they offer more diversification than owning one or two individual stocks.
When should I stop investing in mutual funds? ›
When it comes to equity, it is very important that, especially when you are thinking about long-term goals, you want to exit as soon as you have 2-3 years left approaching your goal and there are just 2-3 years to get there.
How do I know if my mutual funds are good or bad? ›
Analyzing Mutual Fund Performance
- Analyse Fund Performance vs Benchmark Performance.
- Check the Expense Ratio of Funds.
- Study Fund History.
- Check the Strength of the Portfolio.
- Check Portfolio Turnover Ratio (PTR)
- Compare The Maturity Period of Funds.
- Compare Risk-Adjusted Returns.
Downside risk usually causes investments to lose value in the short term. Stock and bond markets may generate positive results over the long term, but market events can cause specific investments or sectors to decline in value in the short term.
Should I put all my money in mutual funds? ›
Given how high the risk is with these mutual funds, it is best to limit yourself to a limited number of small cap mutual funds. Also, avoid putting in a great percentage of your total mutual fund investment in small cap mutual funds. Debt Funds: Ideally 1, but 2 is also good.
What is the average return on mutual funds over 20 years? ›
The 20-year annualized S&P return ending December 31, 2019, is 6.06%, yet the average equity fund investor saw a 4.25% over the same time period. The S&P 500 index funds have a 10-year annualized return of 13.6%. The average bond mutual fund return is between 4-5%.
Why are mutual funds not giving good returns? ›
He said that it is normal for any fund to underperform in the first few years due to equity markets in general not doing well or due to the fund's investment style not playing out. He added if the underperformance is due to these reasons, it is important to stick to the fund and continue with your investments.
What is the 8 4 3 rule in mutual funds? ›
The rule of 8-4-3 for mutual funds states that if you invest Rs 30,000 monthly into an SIP with a return of 12% per annum, then your portfolio will add Rs 50 lacs in the first 8 years, Rs 50 lacs in the next 4 years to become Rs 1 cr in total value and adds further Rs 50 lacs in the next 3 yrs to reach Rs 1.5 cr.
4 steps to selling a mutual fund
- Contact your financial advisor or mutual fund company. Get in touch with the advisor who sold you the fund, or someone in their company. ...
- Ask about any fees or charges. ...
- Decide how many units or shares you want to sell. ...
- Give instructions on what to do with the money.
Conventional wisdom holds that when you hit your 70s, you should adjust your investment portfolio so it leans heavily toward low-risk bonds and cash accounts and away from higher-risk stocks and mutual funds. That strategy still has merit, according to many financial advisors.
Can a mutual fund go to zero? ›
The chances of a mutual fund becoming zero are very low. This is because a mutual fund invests in several assets. So, even if a few assets do not perform well, other assets can generate returns. This can balance the losses of non-performing assets.
How much return should I expect from mutual funds? ›
SIP investment
FV = Future value or the amount you get at maturity. For example, you invest Rs 1,000 a month in a mutual fund scheme using the systematic investment plan or SIP route. The investment is for 10 years, with an estimated rate of return of 8% per year. You have i = r/100/12 = 8/100/12 = 0.006667.
What is a good rate of return on mutual funds? ›
Moreover, mutual funds are meant to be evaluated against a benchmark such as a broad index or other yardstick of value - so if the S&P 500 falls 3% in a year and a large-cap mutual fund only falls 2.5%, it can be considered a "good" return, relatively speaking.
