The Solution to the Active vs. Passive Investment Management Debate Isn't Either/Or
Retirement savers can put the good points of both systems to work with "core-satellite investing."
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Want to add more newsletters?
Delivered daily
Kiplinger Today
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more delivered daily. Smart money moves start here.
Sent five days a week
Kiplinger A Step Ahead
Get practical help to make better financial decisions in your everyday life, from spending to savings on top deals.
Delivered daily
Kiplinger Closing Bell
Get today's biggest financial and investing headlines delivered to your inbox every day the U.S. stock market is open.
Sent twice a week
Kiplinger Adviser Intel
Financial pros across the country share best practices and fresh tactics to preserve and grow your wealth.
Delivered weekly
Kiplinger Tax Tips
Trim your federal and state tax bills with practical tax-planning and tax-cutting strategies.
Sent twice a week
Kiplinger Retirement Tips
Your twice-a-week guide to planning and enjoying a financially secure and richly rewarding retirement
Sent bimonthly.
Kiplinger Adviser Angle
Insights for advisers, wealth managers and other financial professionals.
Sent twice a week
Kiplinger Investing Weekly
Your twice-a-week roundup of promising stocks, funds, companies and industries you should consider, ones you should avoid, and why.
Sent weekly for six weeks
Kiplinger Invest for Retirement
Your step-by-step six-part series on how to invest for retirement, from devising a successful strategy to exactly which investments to choose.
In every great debate, there’s a middle ground, and often it’s home to a good compromise.
Unfortunately, when the believers on either side are positive they’re right, that midway point is roundly and routinely ignored. And the dispute rages on.
The two sides of the active vs. passive portfolio-management feud aren’t exactly the Hatfields and McCoys, but they do seem unwilling to give an inch when discussing which is better for investors. It’s been a hot issue in the financial industry for years now, and appears to be an increasingly popular TV and radio topic.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
My clients ask me about the differences all the time, and they want to know which is better. I tell them I can’t get decisively behind one side or the other.
Pros and cons of active and passive investing
With an actively managed portfolio, a manager tries to outperform a given benchmark index (such as the S&P 500) by watching market trends, changes in the economy, political maneuverings, etc., to decide when to buy and sell investments.
Passive portfolio management involves matching a specific index’s benchmark performance in order to generate the same return. There’s no attempt to pick and choose — it’s an all-in approach.
At first glance, it seems the active path would be the hands-down winner with investors. Who doesn’t want to think there’s somebody out there carefully tending to their precious nest egg — managing risk and adding value by making all the right moves when necessary?
The problem, of course, is all that extra effort — watching, researching, frequent trading — generates more fees. The fund manager has to make more money just to cover those costs — and then make even more to outperform the comparable index fund. Those trades also can trigger capital gains that will end up going on your tax return even if you don’t actually see the money.
A better approach: Core-satellite investing
This is where the middle ground, the compromise, comes in — what is often referred to as core-satellite investing.
This hybrid method of portfolio construction is designed to minimize your exposure to costs, market volatility and potential tax consequences, but it also offers an opportunity to outperform the market.
The majority, or “core,” of the portfolio is made up of cost-efficient passive investments that track a major market index. The “satellites” are positions added in the form of actively managed investments that have the potential to boost returns and lower risk by further diversifying your holdings.
In uncertain times like these — with the Fed penciling in more interest rates for this year, a record-setting bull market that has to end sometime, a new administration that has Washington, D.C., reeling, and the threat of terrorism around the world — this is an approach I can get behind.
There’s no need to think of this as an either/or argument. Investors can benefit greatly by combining both management methods.
Talk to your adviser about how core-satellite investing might give you some added flexibility while still working within the risk parameters of your portfolio.
Kim Franke-Folstad contributed to this article.
-
The Cost of Leaving Your Money in a Low-Rate AccountWhy parking your cash in low-yield accounts could be costing you, and smarter alternatives that preserve liquidity while boosting returns.
-
I want to sell our beach house to retire now, but my wife wants to keep it.I want to sell the $610K vacation home and retire now, but my wife envisions a beach retirement in 8 years. We asked financial advisers to weigh in.
-
How to Add a Pet Trust to Your Estate PlanAdding a pet trust to your estate plan can ensure your pets are properly looked after when you're no longer able to care for them. This is how to go about it.
-
How to Add a Pet Trust to Your Estate Plan: Don't Leave Your Best Friend to Chance
Adding a pet trust to your estate plan can ensure your pets are properly looked after when you're no longer able to care for them. This is how to go about it.
-
Want to Avoid Leaving Chaos in Your Wake? Don't Leave Behind an Outdated Estate PlanAn outdated or incomplete estate plan could cause confusion for those handling your affairs at a difficult time. This guide highlights what to update and when.
-
I'm a Financial Adviser: This Is Why I Became an Advocate for Fee-Only Financial AdviceCan financial advisers who earn commissions on product sales give clients the best advice? For one professional, changing track was the clear choice.
-
I Met With 100-Plus Advisers to Develop This Road Map for Adopting AIFor financial advisers eager to embrace AI but unsure where to start, this road map will help you integrate the right tools and safeguards into your work.
-
The Referral Revolution: How to Grow Your Business With TrustYou can attract ideal clients by focusing on value and leveraging your current relationships to create a referral-based practice.
-
This Is How You Can Land a Job You'll Love"Work How You Are Wired" leads job seekers on a journey of self-discovery that could help them snag the job of their dreams.
-
65 or Older? Cut Your Tax Bill Before the Clock Runs OutThanks to the OBBBA, you may be able to trim your tax bill by as much as $14,000. But you'll need to act soon, as not all of the provisions are permanent.
-
The Key to a Successful Transition When Selling Your Business: Start the Process Sooner Than You Think You Need ToWay before selling your business, you can align tax strategy, estate planning, family priorities and investment decisions to create flexibility.
