Japanese Tracker ISA?

Pheno

Any suggestions of where to shop for managed funds and how to choose good ones?

Incidently, talking of fees.. I was impressed by the HSBC japanese tracker only having a fee of 0.5%. I seem to remember my nationwide trackers charge 1%.

competitionscafe

Pheno wrote:

Incidently, talking of fees.. I was impressed by the HSBC japanese tracker only having a fee of 0.5%. I seem to remember my nationwide trackers charge 1%.

1% sounds high for a tracker considering most managed funds charge 1.5%

As regards charges, one of several reasons that I like investment trusts is that usually the charges are far lower than for OEICS. I think there is also an investment trust FTSE tracker (there certainly used to be one).

competitionscafe

Pheno wrote:

Any suggestions of where to shop for managed funds and how to choose good ones?

You can view discount brokers lists of recommended funds on their web sites:
eg: Hargreaves Lansdown, Chelsea and Best Invest:
http://www.hargreaveslansdown.co.uk...rch/dampier.asp
http://www.bestinvest.co.uk/funds/F...rder=descending
http://www.chelseafs.co.uk/pdf/cfspremierleague.pdf

Best invest gives a TER (total expense ratio) to help you compare the charges on funds. It's also worth looking at the portfolios of some of the better Fund of Funds managers to see which funds the 'experts' are buying, eg: Jupiter Portfolio Funds, Credit Suisse Constellation Funds, CF Miton Portfolio Funds etc.

Lyncroft

Can someone post a link for the HSBC Japan tracker. Can't seem to find it anywhere. Thanks.

carnet

Lyncroft wrote:

Can someone post a link for the HSBC Japan tracker.

Here are the facts.

http://www.trustnet.co.uk/ut/funds/?fund=641

It can be purchased through any broker such as Hargreaves Lansdown, Bestinvest, Allenbridege, UNITAS, Chelsea Financial Services etc. etc

Pheno

I would STRONGLY advise against HSBC. They've told me to fill in 3 different forms on different occasions. Don't do anything logical like use the one on their website because they'll reject it (instanity!). I've now spent a whole month !!!!!! around with the idiots, and just today they've announced they've lost my application form FOR THE SECOND TIME and I have to go and collect a NEW FORM FROM MY LOCAL BRANCH!. Honestly, this is by far the worst customer service I have ever experienced in my life. I am more stunned than angry - it is unbelievable.

Anyway, I've given up and I'm going to attempt going with legal and general. HSBC's incompetence has lost me over £3k so far, and they certainly won't be getting any of my custom in future.

competitionscafe

Can you not buy online or by phone using one of the suggested discount brokers listed above? This should result in a significant saving on the initial charge too.

"eg: Hargreaves Lansdown, Bestinvest, Allenbridge, UNITAS, Chelsea Financial Services etc. etc"

dunstonh

I would STRONGLY advise against HSBC. They've told me to fill in 3 different forms on different occasions. Don't do anything logical like use the one on their website because they'll reject it (instanity!). I've now spent a whole month !!!!!! around with the idiots, and just today they've announced they've lost my application form FOR THE SECOND TIME and I have to go and collect a NEW FORM FROM MY LOCAL BRANCH!. Honestly, this is by far the worst customer service I have ever experienced in my life. I am more stunned than angry - it is unbelievable.

You certainly shouldnt be purchasing the funds from a bank. The HSBC funds are available on the fund supermarkets and that should be the preferred way to buy them. Its almost certainly going to be much cheaper and the service better (unless its cofunds who should probably be avoided now).

MrChips

Of little relevence to the more recent posts, but you are highly unlikely to find any japanese equity investment fund which uses the Nikkei 225 index as its benchmark. The Nikkei 225 is an unweighted arithmetic index (i.e. not a very scientific one) and its 225 constituents have changed little since inception so it is not a representative index of the Japanese equity market.

This is similar to the fact that US Equity funds benchmark the S&P500 rather than the Dow Jones.

You are better off looking to track "Topix" (Tokyo Stock Exchange First Section Index) or a Morgan Stanley Capital International index for Japan, or as already mentioned the FTSE World Japan index.

dealseeker

I read Framlington Japan Fund and Legg Mason Japan funds are worth a look with some positive reviews of these funds in Sunday press. Comments also said to avoid the Invesco Perpetual Japan Small Companies (which I've got ) and the recommendation was to transfer to Framlington or Legg Mason. I will be switching soon.

These are NOT recommendations just opinions on managed funds that may be worth considering.

Regardless of fund you are choosing if you are going to purchase through a Fund supermarket why not consider doing it via Cavendish Online who link up with Funds Network and have an excellent good policy on rebate commission. Martin recommended inrecent article on Stakeholder penions and also for purchasing Life Assurance. My dealings with them have so far been very positive and professional.

Hope this helps.