Multiple Managers

Categories: Mutual Funds

It's how most mutual and other funds are managed. There isn't one individual demi-god running the buys and sells; it's a group of people, usually with their own financial piece of the fund.

Like...in a $10 billion fund, you might have 4 managers running $2 billion each, with then $2 billion left over for the analysts to actually run among the dozen or so of them who each cover a given sector. The multiple manager system used to be hard to track. Yes, there are dividends and cash levels and all kinds of accommodations for private investment valuations and other things. But most funds these days find it worth the effort so that good performers get paid (if they don't, they leave). And bad performers get fired (if they don't, the fund dies).

With multiple manager systems, there is no star either. So funds aren't "held hostage" at bonus time when that one star who has had a great 3-year run...doesn't just "Oliver" the Human Resources person. ("Please, Sir, may I have some...more?")

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