Displaying items by tag: direct indexing

Direct indexing, via separately managed accounts, is rapidly gaining traction as an investment strategy in the United States, particularly beneficial for those with significant holdings in company stocks, and is already proving to be major movement among prominent investment firms in 2024.

This approach allows investors to replicate index performance while retaining control over individual securities, utilizing automated programs for systematic trading. Once limited to the ultra-wealthy, recent technological advancements have made direct indexing accessible to investors of varying levels, with assets projected to reach $2 trillion by 2024.

Direct indexing offers customization, diversification, and risk mitigation, enabling investors to tailor portfolios to their preferences and goals while reducing reliance on specific stocks. With its tax efficiency and customization benefits, it’s easy to see why it’s so appealing in an SMA format and companies like Goldman Sachs are already making huge strides in this subsector. 

Finsum: The hybridization of products has been one of the defining features of the 2020’s and integrating vehicles like SMAs with direct indexing will continue the rest of the decade. 

Last year, assets in passive mutual funds and ETFs overtook assets in active mutual funds and ETFs. This is remarkable considering that passive funds accounted for 31% of total assets in 2015. The trend has been gaining steam since 2008 due to the strong performance of market-cap, weighted indices, and a greater preference for lower fees. 

In 2023, only 47% of active managers outperformed their passive benchmarks. Over the last decade, only 12% of active managers have survived and outperformed their benchmarks. Due to this, it’s not surprising to see that passive strategies are being adopted in separately managed and unified accounts. Currently, it accounts for 32% of assets in these accounts and is forecast to grow at a 12% rate over the next 4 years, faster than growth in ETFs and mutual funds. 

Direct indexing is a customizable, passive investing strategy. It’s designed to track a benchmark but allows for customization for tax purposes or to align investments with a client’s values. According to research, direct indexing can add between 85 and 110 basis points to a portfolio’s after-tax returns. 

Direct indexing also allows advisors to offer clients more personalization while retaining the benefits of passive investing. Already, asset managers and custodians are responding by offering direct indexing solutions at scale to advisors. 

Finsum: Passive strategies have overtaken actively managed strategies in terms of their share of assets. Direct indexing is one factor, as it is a way for advisors to retain the benefits of investing in an index with greater customization and tax efficiency

Direct indexing continues its ascent and is forecast to exceed $1 trillion in assets within the next decade. In essence, direct indexing retains the primary benefits of passive investing while allowing for greater tax efficiency and personalization. 

It achieves this by buying the actual components of an index in a separately managed account (SMA). This means that tax losses can be harvested by selling losing positions and reinvesting the proceeds into positions with similar factor scores to ensure that the benchmark continues to be tracked. According to research, direct indexing can boost after-tax returns by 1 to 2% due to these savings. The effect is even more potent in periods with elevated volatility.

Direct indexing also allows for more customization to account for a client’s unique situation. For instance, if an investor has an oversized position in a specific company, that company would not be included in the index, and/or the specific sector could be underweighted. Similarly, if a client is sitting on large, unrealized gains, direct indexing can help reduce the tax burden while helping to construct a more diversified portfolio.

Direct indexing can be a way for advisors to give clients a strategy that accomplishes their financial goals in the long term, reduces tax payments, and aligns their investments with personal values and/or situation. This can help differentiate advisors in a competitive market and create a richer experience that leads to a stronger and deeper relationship with clients. 

Finsum: Direct indexing continues to experience rapid growth as it offers the benefits of passive investing with more tax efficiency and customization. For advisors, it also presents an opportunity.

Direct indexing has witnessed a meteoric rise, with investments in direct indexes eclipsing $260 billion by the end of 2022. This method, involving the investment in individual securities comprising an index rather than the index fund itself, offers a distinctive set of advantages. 

It not only aims to closely replicate index performance but also holds the potential to significantly enhance tax efficiency. Furthermore, direct indexing provides a level of customization surpassing conventional index funds, making it increasingly attractive for those seeking tailored investment approaches. Direct indexing is gaining momentum, particularly due to its ability to mitigate risk concentration. 

Through this strategy, investors can manage individual components for tax purposes more effectively. By liquidating underperforming securities to offset taxable gains elsewhere in their portfolio, investors can potentially reduce tax liabilities and enhance tax efficiency. However, it's essential to navigate this strategy within the confines of the wash sale rule, which prohibits claiming a tax deduction for a sold security if a substantially identical one is purchased within 30 days before or after the sale.

Finsum: More needs to be said about direct indexing reducing risk in the portfolio by selecting and deselecting stocks based on their risk profile. 

For investors, Tax Day often brings financial woes as they grapple with income from their portfolios. Over two decades, U.S. equity mutual funds have consistently yielded 7% of Net Asset Value in capital gains, irrespective of market performance. 

Direct Indexing emerges as a viable option, empowering investors to offset losses against gains within their portfolios or other income streams. Traditional portfolio management typically disregards tax implications, leading to hefty tax bills for investors, notably during market downturns like 2008.

Direct indexing offers a remedy, enabling investors to tailor their portfolios and strategically sell underperforming assets to counterbalance gains elsewhere. This method reduces turnover since the aim is to mirror an index with minimal trading. Even in bullish markets, avenues for loss mitigation exist, rendering direct indexing an attractive tax management strategy. By mirroring selected indexes, investors can curtail capital gains and potentially offset other income with net tax losses. 

Finsum: Alpha and tax efficiency should be thought of in a similar lens and shouldn’t be discounted by advisors.