Assessing the Costs and Benefits of Brokers in the Mutual Fund Industry

36 Pages Posted: 8 Nov 2005

See all articles by Daniel Bergstresser

Daniel Bergstresser

Brandeis International Business School

John Chalmers

University of Oregon

Peter Tufano

Harvard Business School; Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: October 1, 2007

Abstract

Many investors purchase mutual funds through intermediated channels, paying brokers or financial advisors for fund selection and advice. This paper attempts to quantify the benefits that investors enjoy in exchange for the costs of these services. We study broker-sold and direct-sold funds from 1996 to 2004, and fail to find that brokers deliver substantial tangible benefits. Relative to direct-sold funds, broker-sold funds deliver lower risk-adjusted returns, even before subtracting distribution costs. These results hold across fund objectives, with the exception of foreign equity funds. Further, broker-sold funds exhibit no more skill at aggregate-level asset allocation than do funds sold through the direct channel. Our results are consistent either with substantial non-tangible benefits delivered by the broker-distributed sector or with conflicts of interest between brokers and their clients.

Keywords: mutual funds, distribution channels

Suggested Citation

Bergstresser, Daniel and Chalmers, John and Tufano, Peter, Assessing the Costs and Benefits of Brokers in the Mutual Fund Industry (October 1, 2007). AFA 2006 Boston Meetings, HBS Finance Working Paper No. 616981, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=616981 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.616981

Daniel Bergstresser

Brandeis International Business School ( email )

Waltham, MA 02454
United States
6174162324 (Phone)

John Chalmers

University of Oregon ( email )

Lundquist College of Business
1208 University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403
United States
541-346-3337 (Phone)

Peter Tufano (Contact Author)

Harvard Business School ( email )

Soldiers Field Road
Morgan Hall 131
Boston, MA 02163
United States

Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability

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