The purpose of this study is to discuss research that identifies heterogeneous mutual fund and investor attributes and relations that explain dispersion in fund fees. One might think there is a short list of attributes and relations, such as high versus low expense ratios, that tells the full...

Baker and Wurgler [2007] take a “top down” approach to behavioral finance and the stock market. Investor sentiment is taken to be exogenous and the focus is on its empirical effects. Sentiment is measurable and its waves have clearly discernible, important, and regular effects on firms and...

The objective of this article is to take some of the mystery out of mutual fund revenue sharing, but without being able to say investors have transparent disclosure. It appears that most in the world of regulation and practice of revenue sharing lacks clarity, consistency, proper redress, and...

First, this study reviews Morningstar analytical grading measures used by investors to choose mutual funds. These measures include Morningstar star ratings, analyst ratings, total pillar ratings, upside and downside capture ratios, and stewardship ratings. Second, the study provides results of...

The study provides selected "negative general effects" that lower mutual fund shareholder performance. First, ICA and federal court decisions have enabled generally higher fund fees by setting very high hurdles for shareholders in petitions of excessive fund fees and therefore implicitly reduce...

Since the 2003 mutual funds scandal, it has become quite clear that thoughtful, long-term individual investors should focus on identifying and investing in stewardship funds. The purpose of this study is to provide readily available approaches for individual investors to use in the...

This study provides in-depth coverage of important findings surrounding the question of why investors continue to buy underperforming actively managed mutual funds. This issue is complicated by the finding that active managers have skill that allows them to add fund value, but that is not shared...

The purpose of this study is to discuss various types of agency conflicts that negatively impact mutual fund shareholder interests. In so doing, shareholders should get an improved understanding of conflicts that place them at such a disadvantage in fund investing. Many fund advisers are...

The research provides the mutual fund Total Cost Construct that would provide "normative transparency of disclosure" to shareholders if adopted by the fund industry and by the SEC for fund reporting and disclosure. Full disclosure would enhance analysis to estimate each cost item for samples,...

Revenue sharing payments are mutual fund distribution costs that conflict with continuing shareholder interests by directly reducing fund assets and shareholder returns. The “stated” purpose of revenue sharing payments is to defray broker costs of servicing customer accounts and for...