Managed Funds Glossary Of Terms

Please note that these are a general explanation of the meaning of terms used in relation to managed investment funds. Your provider may use different terms, and you should read your product disclosure statement carefully to understand everything that may apply to your fund. You cannot rely on these terms in relation to any managed fund you may purchase.

1. Asset allocation: Also known as the asset mix. The way a fund distributes (allocates) your invested money into different asset classes, e.g. ‘100% cash’, or ‘20% shares, 20% bonds, and 60% property’. Assets can be allocated between growth and interest-bearing investments.
2. Asset class: Also known as an asset sector. A group of securities that have the same characteristics. Asset classes include Australian shares, international shares, property, cash, fixed interest, and private capital investments.
3. Balanced fund: A fund or portfolio which invests in all major asset classes: cash, fixed interest, property, and shares. This mix can include domestic and/or international assets. A balanced fund provides long-term capital growth and a reasonable level of income, and is a medium risk investment option.
4. Benchmark: Provides a standard for measuring how a fund manager’s investment has performed long-term compared to a market index such as the All Ordinaries Accumulation Index.
5. Bond: A type of fixed interest, debt security issued by corporations, governments or government agencies. Someone who owns bonds becomes a creditor of the bond issuer, not a shareholder in the agency.
6. Capital: The value of an investment in a house or business, represented by total assets less total liabilities.
7. Capital growth fund: A fund that primarily invests in assets likely to increase in value, such as shares and property.
8. Capital guaranteed fund: A fund that guarantees a specified return (declared investment return) on top of the original capital.
9. Contribution: An amount of money that you add to (contribute to) your investment fund. A similar concept to a deposit placed in a bank account. Some managed funds charge a fee for the administration of each contribution you make.
10. Cost basis: The value of an investment, consisting of the amount of the original investment, any additional incremental investments, capitalised fees, and retained earnings from the investment. This valuation does not take into account any unrealised gains from market valuations.
11. Diversified option: An option that invests in multiple asset classes (usually more than three).
12. Growth fund:A managed fund that predominantly invests in growth assets.
13. Hedge fund:A managed fund where the fund manager is authorised to use derivatives and borrowing with the aim of providing a higher return.
14. Outperformance or Underperformance: How well a fund has performed, as measured against an index, competitor, or other benchmarks. Outperformance means a managed fund has performed better than the index, competitor, or benchmark. Underperformance means a managed fund has performed worse than the index, competitor, or benchmark.
15. Securities: Written undertakings to repay money, such as bonds, bills of exchange, promissory notes or share certificates. These are usually negotiable instruments that establish ownership and payment rights.
16. Socially Responsible Investment (SRI): A type of managed fund or investment that chooses to invest solely in companies that are acting in ways that are socially and environmentally sustainable. SRI funds are becoming popular quickly, and they typically outperform index markets. An SRI fund also has non-financial aims, including attempting to improve working conditions in developing countries, and restoring the environment.
17. Volatility: A measurement of how much returns vary over time. The volatility of a market directly affects its level of investment risk.
18. Wholesale fund: A managed fund where individuals pool their money to invest collectively, and distributions are made to investors pre-tax. Investors benefit from getting better diversification than they could achieve as an individual investor, and paying their own rate of tax on the income, which is usually a lower rate than the fund’s company tax rate.

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As of our latest star ratings for managed funds, we research and rate the following managed funds:

1. Aberdeen Asset Management Ltd
2. Advance Asset Management Limited
3. AIMS Fund Management Limited
4. AMP Capital Funds Management Ltd
5. Antares Capital Partners Ltd
6. APN Funds Management Ltd
7. Ausbil Investment Management Limited
8. Australian Ethical Investment Ltd
9. Australian Unity Property Limited
10. Bennelong Funds Management Ltd
11. BT Funds Management Ltd
12. Colonial First State Investments Limited
13. Copia Investment Partners Ltd
14. Equity Trustees Ltd
15. Fidante Partners Limited
16. Fundhost Limited
17. Hunter Hall Investment Management Ltd
18. Invesco Australia Limited
19. Ironbark Asset Mgmt (Fund Services) Ltd
20. Lazard Asset Management Pacific Co
21. Macquarie Investment Management Aus Ltd.
22. Magellan Asset Management Limited
23. Maple-Brown Abbott Limited
24. MLC Investments Limited
25. Morningstar Investment Management Australia Limite
26. Mutual Limited
27. Nikko Asset Management Australia Limited
28. OnePath Funds Management Limited
29. Pengana Capital Limited
30. Perpetual Investment Management Ltd
31. Peters MacGregor Capital Management
32. Platinum Investment Management Ltd
33. PM CAPITAL Limited
34. Prime Value Asset Management
35. Russell Investment Management Limited
36. Sandhurst Trustees Limited
37. UBS Asset Management (Australia) Ltd
38. Vanguard Investments Australia Ltd
39. Westpac Financial Services Limited
40. Zurich Investment Management Limited

For more information on how Canstar rates managed funds, read our ratings Methodology.