Mutual funds

“The combination of low rates, curbs on state and local tax deductions, and consistent economic expansion have been a nice tailwind,” an analyst says.

Fee compression and commoditization of investment products over the past decade are threatening already slim margins in asset management.

Since this March, almost 100 firms have settled with the regulator for approximately $173 million. Other cases are still pending.

At more than twice the price of the average fund, many with the even biggest gains still underperformed the broader market over the last decade.

Someone with a long-term investing horizon is generally not helped by bailing out of a well-diversified, multi-asset portfolio. Here are some options for them, and some talking points for you.

Deviation from the broader market has left more than half of these products with losses during a time the Dow and S&P 500 each posted double-digit gains.

Cash flow has subsided and market conditions have changed since the fund was closed to most new accounts in 2016.

At 84 basis points, the average expense ratio is over 40 basis points pricier than what investors paid on average last year.

The annual “evolution revolution” report and an analyst’s overview show how fiduciary advice is reshaping wealth management.

Some accuse index funds of promoting monopolies and distorting markets, among other horrors, but nothing has stemmed the wave of inflows to passive.