Ep 15: Mutual Funds vs. EFT's: Why We Don't Always Choose the Cheapest Option

The Point Podcast

💭 "If one of your investment principles is reducing costs, why do you still use mutual funds when ETFs are cheaper?"
That’s the thoughtful listener question that kicks off this episode—and it leads to a wide-ranging discussion about value, strategy, and what really matters in long-term investing.

Join Landis Wiley and Allen Wallace as they unpack why cost alone shouldn’t drive investment decisions—and how institutional mutual funds, qualitative manager traits, and portfolio construction all factor into smarter investing.

✅ Why lower cost doesn’t always mean better value in investments
✅ The tradeoffs between mutual funds and ETFs, including manager oversight and turnover
✅ How Allen evaluates mutual funds using Buffett-inspired criteria
✅ The role of qualitative factors: manager passion, strategy, and team depth
✅ How Japan’s rising interest rates are affecting global bond markets and investor portfolios

🎯 Whether you're a DIY investor or working with an advisor, this episode offers clarity on how to evaluate investment costs in context, not isolation.

Key points: ETFs vs mutual funds, investment costs, active vs passive, portfolio strategy, Japan interest rates, fund manager analysis

We hope you’ve gained some valuable insights or maybe even a fresh perspective on our topic today. We would love to hear from you with your questions or specific topics you would like us to cover. Simply email us your questions or suggestions to [email protected] and who knows, your topic might be featured next.
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