[GRTV] Index funds 'saving millions in fees'
Edwards said the availability of passive funds gave investors the opportunity to achieve market returns at low cost and had saved the investing community "hundreds of millions of dollars" in fees.
He said, while some active funds out-performed, S&P's SPIVA reports, which compare active managers' returns to benchmarks, showed that, over time, active management strategies under-performed. "Tracking an index is one of the most surefire ways to offer above-average returns."
There was not enough data to offer a SPIVA analysis of New Zealand's market but Edwards was not convinced it would be markedly different.
One of the biggest myths about active investment was that their strategies would shine in a down market, he said. "You always hear the advantage of active management is in a bear market they can go to cash. It's always 'can go to cash', never 'did go to cash'."
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