Banco Popular de Puerto Rico

Vanguard reclaimed its top spot in J.D. Power’s annual ranking of self-directed investor satisfaction. Charles Schwab retained its position as a leader among DIY investors.

“People are just saying, ‘Why should I pay for an active manager when most of them lose to the benchmark anyway?’ This is a big deal,” an expert says.

The firms have grabbed some three-fourths of the announced incoming advisors, as the pandemic cuts into valuations and casts uncertainty.

“These funds got an assist from the Fed when they were told they would backstop the higher end of the high-yield credit industry,” an expert says.

The holdings in these top-performers “are companies that will be replaced, from a performance standpoint, over the next decade,” an expert says.

Analysis of their performance — and fees — may reveal some surprises.

The decade’s top-performers have produced returns of more than four-times their industry peers this year.

The CARES Act will play a critical role, according to Grant Thornton.

The group of fee-only practices and networks have 1,187 IARs who manage a combined $95.7 billion.

Among the decade’s worst performers — those with more than $1 billion in assets under management — were a handful of products with stellar short-term returns.