December 30, 2018
OVERALL INVESTOR EXPERIENCE
1. How do you pick funds? What information do you want to know when you make an investment in a fund? What publications or websites do you review? What tools, online or otherwise, do you use? Do you look at the SECs website?
I do look at the EDGAR site data.
2. Do you read current fund disclosure documents? Do you understand them? Is there information you do not receive from the fund that you would like to get?
I read the information. The information that I would like to receive is real-time updates on fund holdings. The delay in this information is significant.
3. How well do current fund disclosures (such as a summary prospectus, prospectus, or shareholder report) help you pick an investment? Is it easy to compare different funds? Are there technology-based tools that could make fund comparisons easier? What helpful features do those tools have?
Morningstar look-through lets you compare composition of funds. The SEC should have a similar offering.
4. Do you use the advice of a financial professional? Does a financial professional's help affect whether and how you use fund disclosures?
I do use one and no it does not affect my use of the disclosures.
DELIVERY
5. How do you prefer to receive communications about fund investments? For example, do you prefer mail delivery, email, website availability, mobile applications, or a combination?
Combination of email and hard copy.
6. What types of fund information do you prefer to access electronically? What types of fund information do you prefer to receive in paper? Are there other wayssuch as by video or audio, you would like to receive fund information?
7. How can the SEC better use technology and communication tools to help investors focus on important fund information?
DESIGN
8. Is there too much technical writing in fund disclosure? Would you prefer more tables, charts, and graphs? Would these graphic displayes be in addition to, or in place of, text-heavy disclosures?
Tables, charts and graphs in addition to the text.
9. Do you prefer to receive shorter 'Summary' disclosures, with additional information available online or upon request?
10. Should fund disclosures be more personalized? For example, should disclosures show the amount of fees you paid or your actual investment returns? If so, how?
Actual numbers for my own investments would be helpful.
CONTENT
11. Do fund disclosures make the fund's strategies and the level of risk clear? How can funds improve these disclosures? Would a risk rating, such as a numerical or graphical measure of risk, be helpful?
Risk in bear vs bull markets would be useful.
12. Fund fees and expenses can significantly affect a fund's investment returns over time. Do you think funds clearly disclose their fees and expenses? How could funds improve the disclosure of fees and expenses? Would a comparison of your funds fees against other funds fees help?
Fee comparisons would help.
13. Do you consider the past performance of a fund when making an investment decision? How could we improve the presentation of performance information?
FINAL THOUGHTS
14. Aside from this questionnaire, are there other ways the SEC can engage with investors, like you, on key topics? Is there anything else you would like to tell us?