Forum Archive Index - March 2001

["mikejenny" <mikejenny@xtra.co.nz>]

I've been reading and thinking about these trusts over the last while and weighing up the pros and cons of index and managed funds.

I have never invested in them and some Q's I'm left with are.

It seems a good way to get exposure to overseas markets for the majority of people and to diversify their portfolios but why even bother with aggressive funds and their extra fees if in the long term index funds seem to outperform or at least equal them! ?

Given that most fund managers allow you to move some or all of your $$ around their funds a couple of times a year without fees wouldn't one be better to concentrate on economies and regions in their broadest terms and move funds into ones that are performing well at the time and out if things look bad?

Given all the best intentions in the world most of us without having access to a constant supply of info about companies on the other sides of the world will find it very difficult to make as informed decisions as we might with those close to home in Aust and NZ, isn't using the fund managers ready researched choices is time and cost effective?

Do you get a list of the co's invested in by your manager or in the case of an index fund if it just assumed you will know or don't care?!

 

any thoughts

cheers iccon

 

still spewing about not trading commsoft (198c) for carters (170c) in November like my mind was telling me to. oh well my one little tech wreck I guess!