%0 Journal Article %A Ben Johnson %A Hortense Bioy %A Dimitar Boyadzhiev %T Assessing the True Cost of Strategic-Beta ETFs %D 2016 %R 10.3905/jii.2016.7.1.035 %J The Journal of Index Investing %P 35-48 %V 7 %N 1 %X The report examines the differences in costs between strategic-beta (smart beta) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and their more ordinary passive peers. Cost is an important consideration that isn’t always at the forefront of investors’ minds when selecting strategic-beta funds. The study assesses differences in fees, replication costs, and trading costs for a selection of European-domiciled, strategic-beta ETFs and market-cap-weighted ETFs linked to some of the most widely used broad equity benchmarks, including the S&P 500, MSCI World, and MSCI Emerging Markets indexes. The authors find a wide disparity in the fees charged by strategic-beta funds and that their total cost of ownership is, on average, significantly higher.TOPICS: Exchange-traded funds and applications, performance measurement, developed %U https://jii.pm-research.com/content/iijindinv/7/1/35.full.pdf