DWS Alternative Asset Allocation Instl (AAAZX)
Expense Ratio: 1.55%
Expected Lifetime Fees: $43,609.00
The DWS Alternative Asset Allocation Instl fund (AAAZX) is a Multialternative fund started on 07/30/2007 and has $678.60 million in assets under management. The current manager has been running DWS Alternative Asset Allocation Instl since 08/21/2007. The fund is rated by Morningstar. This fund does not charge 12b-1 fees.
ProShares Credit Suisse 130/30 (CSM)
Expense Ratio: 0.95%
Expected Lifetime Fees: $28,436.39
The ProShares Credit Suisse 130/30 (CSM) is an Exchange Traded Fund. It is a "basket" of securities that index the Multialternative investment strategy and is an alternative to a Multialternative mutual fund. Fees are very low compared to a comparable mutual fund like DWS Alternative Asset Allocation Instl because computers automatically manage the stocks.
| Mutual Fund Name | Ticker Symbol | Turnover | Assets (M) | Annual Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Absolute Return Enhanced Multi Strategy Fund Class A | CEMAX | 11.0% | 102 | 1.48% |
| Columbia Absolute Return Enhanced Multi Strategy Fund Class Z | CEMZX | 11.0% | 102 | 1.23% |
| Columbia Absolute Return Multi Strategy Fund Class A | CMSAX | 16.0% | 180 | 1.38% |
| Columbia Absolute Return Multi Strategy Fund Class Z | CARZX | 16.0% | 180 | 1.13% |
| DWS Select Alternative Allocation Instl | SELIX | 15.0% | 477 | 1.39% |
| DWS Select Alternative Allocation S | SELSX | 15.0% | 477 | 1.54% |
| Goldman Sachs Absolute Return Tracker I | GJRTX | 105.0% | 1,700 | 1.18% |
| Goldman Sachs Absolute Return Tracker IR | GSRTX | 105.0% | 1,700 | 1.33% |
| Guggenheim Multi-Hedge Strategies I | RYIMX | 433.0% | 130 | 1.32% |
| John Hancock II Alternative Asset Allocation Fund Class I | JAAIX | 90.0% | 123 | 1.34% |
| Nuveen Tactical Market Opportunities A | NTMAX | 177.0% | 205 | 1.42% |
| Nuveen Tactical Market Opportunities I | FGTYX | 177.0% | 205 | 1.17% |
| SunAmerica Alternative Strategies W | SUNWX | 129.0% | 371 | 1.53% |
| UBS Dynamic Alpha Y | BNAYX | 65.0% | 260 | 1.54% |
Turnover
Turnover represents how much of a mutual fund's holdings are changed over the course of a year through buying and selling. Active mutual funds have an average turnover rate of about 85%,
meaning that funds are turning over nearly all of their holdings every year. A high turnover means you could make lower returns because: 1) buying and selling stocks costs money through
commissions and spreads and 2) the fund will distribute yearly capital gains which increases your taxes. Look for funds with turnover rates below 50%. For comparison, ETF turnover rates
average around 10% or lower.
Assets
Generally, smaller funds do better than larger ones. The more assets in a mutual fund, the lower the chance that it will beat its index. Managers outperform an index by choosing stocks
that are undervalued. In order to find these undervalued stocks, the manager has to know more than his competitors to develop an "edge." There are only a finite number of stocks a mutual
fund manager can reasonably analyze and actively track to gain such a competitive edge. When the fund has more assets, the manager must analyze large companies because he needs to take
larger positions. Large companies are more efficiently priced in the market and it becomes increasingly difficult to get an edge.
