Great for young investors
A tracker fund (or index fund) is a simple, low-cost way to invest in the stock market. Instead of picking individual stocks, it automatically follows an index such as the FTSE 100 investing in companies like AstraZeneca, Shell, British Gas and Lloyds Banking Group or the S&P 500, which includes top U.S. businesses like Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and Tesla.
For example, if you invest £10,000 into a UBS S&P 500 Index fund, £760 would be invested into Apple, £413 into Amazon, £629 into Microsoft and £227 into Tesla all the way down to a few pounds in the companies lower down the list of the top 500 companies based on their market cap (the total value of a company's shares of stock). Source : UBS (4 February 2025)
Why it's great for young investors
- Easy & hands-off - No need to worry about picking stocks as it just follows the market.
- Very low fees - Costs way less than hiring an investment management team.
- Diversified - Spreads risk across potentially hundreds if not thousands of listed companies.
What is our view on actively managed funds versus tracker funds?
There are a number of good fund managers out there who have been able to beat the market relatively consistently over the longterm, despite the inevitable periods of under-performance. If you pick a well-respected fund manager with a good track record and are prepared to monitor performance on a regular basis, it can pay off. Even though fees for active fund management are higher, returns can outstrip a benchmark index by significant margins. Get it wrong though and the opposite scenario can transpire e.g. you end up with an under-performing fund charging you high fees for the privilege.
Tracking an index substantially removes this risk and the need to continuously evaluate a fund manager's relative performance which can suit many investors. Of course, your decision doesn't have to be all or nothing. Many investors choose to have a mix of active and passive funds which can provide a sensible spread of diversified holdings within a portfolio. Ultimately, it's a personal choice and one which we will continue to offer to our clients.
All other things being equal, how do lower charges help my investments to grow?
Costs, like interest, have a compounding effect over time. They can have a dramatic impact on investment returns, one that's not always obvious or transparent. In order to see and understand the true importance of costs, the following figures show the impact of different annual management charges over different time periods.
If we assume an identical growth rate of 7% per annum for both funds over both a 20 year and a 30 year period, we are able to calculate what an initial investment of £10,000 would be worth after that amount of time. An actively managed fund will never perform the same as a tracker fund over the long term, these figures just show the impact that charges have on investment returns.
| Investment |
Fund |
Total annual cost |
Return 20yrs at 7% p.a. |
Return 30yrs at 7% p.a. |
|
£10,000
|
Jupiter UK Growth
|
1.74%
|
£27,878
|
£46,547
|
|
£10,000
|
Aberdeen UK All Share
|
0.65%
|
£34,257
|
£63,405
|
The total cost of the Jupiter UK Growth Fund (TER) includes our commission of 0.5% (i.e. not an additional fee). For the abrdn UK All share tracker, the total cost consists of the Aberdeen fee, Fidelity FundsNetwork annual service fee and the Elson Associates annual service fee.
As you can see, the difference in charges between the two funds makes a significant difference to the value you would get back at the end of these two periods.
What are the differences between tracker funds and ETFs?
Both tracker funds and ETFs (Exchange-Traded Funds) are passive investments that aim to replicate the performance of an index (like the FTSE 100 or S&P 500), but they have some key differences:
How They're Bought & Sold
- Tracker fund: Acts like a traditional mutual fund - you buy and sell at the end of the trading day at a set price (Net Asset Value or NAV).
- ETF: Trades like a stock, meaning you can buy and sell throughout the day at market prices that fluctuate.
Costs & Fees
- Tracker fund: Generally has lower fees but may have higher minimum investment requirements.
- ETF: Slightly higher fees due to trading costs but usually no minimum investment.
Flexibility
- Tracker fund: Good for long - term investors who want a simple, hands-off approach.
- ETF: More flexible - you can trade anytime and see the underlying investments at any given time.
Which One Is Best for You?
Choose a tracker fund if you want a set-it-and-forget-it investment with lower costs.
Choose an ETF if you want more control over when you buy and sell.
How can I make a new lump sum or monthly investment into a tracker fund?
Most investments today are placed via platforms. Fewer and fewer investors still invest directly with the fund managers - and for good reason - they are generally more expensive and offer less flexibility.
Our duty of care now extends to ensuring you're not paying over the odds for your investments. To this end, we recommend investing via the Fidelity FundsNetwork platform.
There are two ways to make an investment through us:
- Online
The quickest and easiest way to invest is via our website. Please note that you will need to pay using a Debit card. Credit cards cannot be used.
To invest online via Fidelity FundsNetwork, please visit: https://elsonassociates.com/invest/fidelity-fundsnetwork.aspx.
To invest online via Aegon, please visit: https://elsonassociates.com/invest/aegon.aspx.
- Paper application
In order to invest via paper application:
Please contact us here and let us know which fund(s) and the amount(s) you wish to invest. We will then send you an illustration (if going into a fund you don't currently hold), a pre-populated form, the relevant KIID(s) and a Service Fee Agreement.
Once you have read the illustration and checked the pre-populated application form, please sign the form and Service Fee Agreement and return to us along with a cheque payable to 'Fidelity' (when investing under Fidelity) or 'Aegon' (when investing under Aegon). A FREEPOST envelope will be provided.
I'm thinking of transferring my ISA to a tracker fund?
Once you have decided where you're transferring your ISA to, please contact us here and we will send you the relevant paperwork for you to complete.
What if I currently hold funds with Elson Associates and wish to switch to a tracker fund?
You can either contact us or alternatively, if you are invested via a platform, you can switch online.
To switch online with Fidelity FundsNetwork please click here.
To switch online with Aegon, please click here.