Wherever you look, you will find various rating systems on mutual funds, each of which uses a different approach. All of them are designed to weed through the thousands of funds to get to the best ones. But is there really such a thing? Does a high rating really mean a fund will do better in the future? Many people seem to think so. A recent study showed that Morningstar, North America’s most recognized rating system for funds, has a tremendous influence on fund sales. If Morningstar gives a five-star rating, those funds typically enjoy increased sales as a result.
While ranking providers are careful to warn investors that their ratings don’t foretell the future, the star system is, unfortunately, used by some investors as if they were reading Consumer Reports to purchase a new drill. Supporters of the ranking approach argue that there’s no subjective component to the star rating. It isn’t determined by an analyst’s review, and can’t change simply because the service dislikes the fund’s manager or its investment strategy. And that’s good.
Performance will vary. Fund performance often falls off and risk levels rise...