(March 22 – 12:40 ET) – Overall mutual fund statements have improved since 1999.
According to an evaluation by financial services research firm DALBAR , statements look better and do a better job at presenting investors’ portfolios. But the firm notes that overall evaluation scores declined in 2001 from 1999.
DALBAR says rising consumer expectations have outpaced companies’ performance. Investors are placing increased value on areas that were not as vital in the past.
For example, investors value comparisons to relevant benchmarks in providing a context for the performance of their investments. No mutual fund company in Canada yet provides such a feature says DALBAR.
More firms now provide personal rates of returns, but this feature is still not a standard. According to the study, just 7 out of 22 firms provided investors with rates of returns. But DALBAR notes this is up from three in 1999.
The top rated firms were:
- Phillips, Hager & North;
- C.I. Mutual Funds; and
- Investors Group.