Found on portfolio tracker site via google this this comparison of a few Australian index funds. What’s curious is the
top200shares product from BankWest. Now BankWests internet banking product is great but it is kind of baffling why they would introduce this when it’s fees are so high compared to the competitors. Natty online web pages to track the fund are nice, but not that nice, when it is just as easy to track a streettracks asx200 portfolio online at a discount broker with a fraction of the fees applying. The nearly 1% MER partly removes a the advantage of index investing I think.
follow up
After some discussion on the ever handy aus.invest though the web design looks cute this product doesn’t really offer anything over the cheaper equivalent product from Vanguard, although either would be better than streettracks for small regular savings deposits as no brokerage fees.
CONTANGO MICROCAP LIMITED (CTN) - The Company is a listed investment company specialising in investment in the microcap sector (i.e. those companies listed on ASX except for the companies included in the ASX 300 Index). Has a St. George Margin lending GR of 50%.
Global Masters Fund Ltd (GFL) - This is a wierd one as it basicly invests in Berkshire Hathaway shares.. i.e. it exists solely to ride on Warren Buffets coat tails, but providing easy access for Australian investors.. less their management fees of course. Has a St. George Margin lending GR of 60%.
Platinum Capital Ltd (PMC) - Has a St. George Margin lending GR of 55%.
Templeton Global Growth Fund(TGG) - Has a St. George Margin lending GR of 55%.
Platinum Capital Ltd and Templeton Global Growth Fund appear similar in overview.
AMP Capital China Growth Fund (AGF) - “.. invests in China A shares listed on China’s Shanghai or Shenzhen exchanges”. Has a St. George Margin lending GR of 65%. Very new so no return results yet.
Hyperion Flagship Investments Ltd (HIP) -Has a St. George Margin lending GR of 60%.
Hunter Hall Global Value (HHV) LIC.. has a St George Margin lending GR (Gearing Ratio) of 65%
Hunter Hall International Ltd (HHL) has a St. George GR of 45%
Australian Ethical Investment Ltd not in the St. George list of acceptable securities.
Just read on aus.invest that Travis Morien, the most informative and helpful poster on there has updated his aus.invest FAQ, as well as using a content management system to keep it all under control: link to the new version of the aus.invest FAQ.
I’ll leave the older version linked in the permalinks until it “comes out of beta”.
While hunting around for “ethical” index funds I found this index, which seems to be the right one, but there don’t appear to be many index fund products that track it, at least ones that are available to the non-institional investor. Still hunting around though more though.
I think these are quite worthy and I have a fair chunk of my investments in them:
Australian Ethical Investment a more deep green investment style - Australian Ethical Large Companies Share Trust.
Looks like they are readying an international ethical share fund as well, from what their web site says.
Hunter Hall Investment Management - Hunter Hall Australian Value Trust, Hunter Hall Global Ethical Trust. HH also has a LIC called Hunter Hall Global Value Limited (ASX: HHV). These take a more negative screening approach, i.e. they try to avoid investing in “bad” companies.
I also like the “index fund” approach to investing from a pure theory kind of viewpoint.. but by their nature I guess the “ethical” managed funds need some kind of active managent. I wonder if there is a way to make some kind of Ethical Index Fund or something.
Decided to start this blog to log observations whilst messing with online investing in Australia. I am not an investment advisor and this is not investment advice. Some of the posts are referencing services, products and investments that I am using, or have purchased. But others maybe be about things that have just grabbed my interest.
DISCLAIMER: If you are stupid enough to mistake any of the stuff on this site as valid investment advice, you deserve to lose your money!