When Cheaper is Better: Fee Determination in the Market for Equity Mutual Funds
42 Pages Posted: 30 May 2005
Date Written: May 17, 2005
Abstract
In this paper, we develop a model of the market for equity mutual funds that captures three key characteristics of this market. First, there is competition among funds. Second, fund managers' ability is not observed by investors before making their investment decisions. And third, some investors do not make optimal use of all available information. The main results of the paper are that 1) price competition is compatible with positive mark-ups in equilibrium; and 2) worse-performing funds set fees that are greater or equal than those set by better-performing funds. These predictions are supported by available empirical evidence.
Keywords: mutual fund fees, mutual fund performance, product quality, asymmetric information, bounded rationality
JEL Classification: L13, L15, G23, D80
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
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