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Are You Invested In These 3 Mutual Fund Misfires? - April 01, 2020

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If your advisor has you invested in any of these "Mutual Fund Misfires of the Market" with high fees and low returns, you need to rethink your advisor.

High fees coupled with poor results: It's a straightforward equation for an awful mutual fund. Some are more regrettable than others - and some are bad to the point that they have got a "Strong Sell" from our Zacks Rank, the lowest positioning of the almost 19,000 mutual funds we rank every day.

First, let's break down some of the funds currently part of our "Mutual Fund Misfires of the Market." If you happen to have put your money into any of these misfires, we'll help assess some of our best Zacks Ranked mutual funds.

3 Mutual Fund Misfires

Now, let's take a look at three market misfires.

Glenmede Long/Short Fund (GTAPX - Free Report) : This fund has an expense ratio of 2.43% and a management fee of 1.2%. Without even doing any in-depth analysis, just the fact that you are paying more in fees than you're earning in returns is reason enough not to invest. GTAPX is a Long Short - Equity fund, and these funds aim to minimize exposure to the broader market, taking long positions in equities that are expected to appreciate and short positions in equities that are projected to decline. The fund has lagged performance-wise, so perhaps a simpler index future investing strategy might be more effective.

American Century Short Term Government C (TWACX - Free Report) : TWACX is a Government Bond - Short fund, and these funds hold securities issued by the U.S. federal government. This category focuses on the short end of the curve, and are seen as extremely low risk securities from a default perspective. TWACX offers an expense ratio of 1.56% and annual returns of -0.03% over the last five years. Even if this fund can be positioned as a hedge during the recent bull-market, paying more in fees than returns over the long-term should never be an acceptable result.

Goldman Sachs Dynamic Allocation A : Expense ratio: 1.16%. Management fee: 0.79%. GDAFX is classified as an Allocation Balanced fund, which seeks to invest in a balance of asset types, like stocks, bonds, and cash, and including precious metals or commodities is not unusual. With annual returns of just -0.77%, it's no surprise this fund has received Zacks' "Strong Sell" ranking.

3 Top Ranked Mutual Funds

Now that we've covered our "worst offender" list, let's take a look at some of Zacks' highest ranked mutual funds with some of the lowest fees you may want to consider.

Fidelity Strategic Advisers Core Fund is a fund that has an expense ratio of 0.2%, and a management fee of 0.45%. FCSAX is part of the Large Cap Blend section, and these mutual funds most often invest in firms with a market capitalization of $10 billion or more. By investing in bigger companies, these funds offer more stability, and are often well-suited for investors with a "buy and hold" mindset. With yearly returns of 11.06% over the last five years, this fund clearly wins.

T. Rowe Price Global Growth Stock Adviser (PAGLX - Free Report) is a stand out fund. PAGLX is a Global - Equity mutual fund investing in bigger markets like the U.S., Europe, and Japan; these kinds of funds aren't limited by geography. With five-year annualized performance of 11% and expense ratio of 1.1%, this diversified fund is an attractive buy with a strong history of performance.

Nationwide Growth Fund A (NMFAX - Free Report) has an expense ratio of 0.9% and management fee of 0.45%. NMFAX is a Large Cap Growth mutual fund, and these funds invest in many large U.S. firms that are projected to grow at a faster rate than their large-cap peers. With annual returns of 11.76% over the last five years, this fund is a well-diversified fund with a long track record of success.

Bottom Line

So, there you have it - if your advisor has you invested in any of our "Mutual Fund Misfires of the Market," there is a good probability that they are either asleep at the wheel, incompetent, or (most likely) lining their pockets with high fee commissions at your financial expense.

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