The suitability of a fund or unit investment trust (UIT) is closely tied to the individual securities held in its portfolio. For example, the suitability of a large-cap stock fund is generally similar to the suitability of a large-cap stock. The main differences between funds/UITs and the individual securities they hold are diversification and fees.
Funds and UITs can provide instant diversification. It’s common for a mutual fund to hold dozens - or even hundreds - of different securities. Rather than researching and selecting individual investments, an investor can buy a fund or UIT and have a professional manage the portfolio. This can be especially useful for retail investors who don’t have the time or expertise to build and monitor a diversified portfolio.
At the same time, investing in funds and UITs involves costs. These can include the expense ratio, sales charges, 12b-1 fees, management fees, and other expenses. Even when the benefits of diversification and professional management outweigh these fees, the total cost should still be considered when evaluating suitability.
Dollar cost averaging is a common investment strategy used with investment companies, especially mutual funds. It involves investing a fixed dollar amount at regular intervals over time. This approach helps reduce market timing risk, which is the risk of investing a large amount right before a market decline.
For example, if an investor made a $100,000 investment right before the Great Recession of 2008 (such as in the summer of 2007), it would’ve taken over 4 years to recoup the losses from the downturn. The larger the lump-sum investment, the more exposed the investor is to a sharp decline soon after investing.
Now compare that to investing the same $100,000 as $1,000 per week over 100 weeks (roughly 2 years). If prices fall during that period, the same $1,000 buys more shares at the lower prices. That’s the key way dollar cost averaging mitigates market timing risk.
In a fluctuating market, the investor’s average cost per share can be lower than the average price per share. Here’s an example using ABC mutual fund during a market decline:
| Date | Purchase amount | Price per share | Shares purchased |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | $1,000 | $20 | 50 |
| Feb 1 | $1,000 | $16 | 62.5 |
| Mar 1 | $1,000 | $10 | 100 |
| Apr 1 | $1,000 | $8 | 125 |
Overall, the investor purchased $4,000 of ABC mutual fund over a four-month period. During that time, they purchased 337.5 shares. Now compare the average cost per share to the average price per share.
Average cost =
Average cost =
Average cost = $11.85
Now, find the average price:
Average price =
Average price =
Average price =
Average price = $13.50
The average cost reflects both the prices paid and the number of shares purchased. The average price is just the simple average of the prices at each purchase date. In a declining or volatile market, the average cost will be lower because the fixed investment amount buys more shares when prices are lower. Even though a bear market hurts existing holdings, continuing to invest during declines can reduce the investor’s average cost per share.
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