On December 27, 2010, our advisory firm opened a new mutual fund, the Geier Strategic Total Return Fund (GAMTX). Because many of my fellow advisors have also contemplated creating and managing their own fund, I'm invariably asked about how we did it, and why. They ask under the assumption that opening up a fund is an expensive, disruptive and risky undertaking, so they are curious to hear about the experience.
Here's my attempt at answering some of these questions.
We started to seriously think about starting a new fund in 2007. The need for such a fund was arising on several fronts. For example, many of our clients in the 55-to-65 age group had substantial assets accumulated in employer 401(k)s and we were having difficulty finding suitable subaccounts to transition these assets from an accumulation- to distribution-oriented portfolio. We were looking for actively managed funds with an absolute return emphasis, but few were available.
We also thought starting a fund would help us deal with the classic dilemma faced by any advisor with high-net-worth clients: how to deal with referrals-friends and relatives of existing clients-whose assets were not at a high enough level to warrant paying for our comprehensive services. A fund would provide a vehicle to establish a relationship with these people. It would also allow us to take our strategy, which up to then had been used for an exclusive circle of high-net-worth clients, and open it up to mainstream investors-schoolteachers, policemen, firemen, etc.
We've also met many prospects who have been interested in our conservative growth strategies, but are very happy with their current advisor. A mutual fund offered a convenient way for such clients to have us manage some of their assets, while maintaining the relationship with their current advisor.
A Self-Evaluation
Once we decided to go forward, one of the first things we had to do was ask ourselves if we have what it takes to create and run a mutual fund. It is one thing to manage an advisory firm, but quite another to start a fund from scratch and make it successful. What qualities are needed to do so and do we possess them? To find the answers, we digested any information we could find on small funds that had started up over the last 10 years, trying to identify the traits that were shared by those that were most successful.
One of the most important factors in establishing a successful mutual fund, we found, was having sufficient financial resources because, yes, starting a fund is expensive. The startup costs alone can run over $50,000. These expenses include attorney and other consultant fees, statutory fees such as "blue sky" registrations in every state where the fund will be offered, printing of the prospectus and the creation of Web sites and other branding necessities.
It was also important to limit costs, because we knew that for a fund to be successful it not only had to perform well, but also had to have low expenses. We wanted to keep our expense ratio competitive, so keeping the fund's operating expenses in line was an important goal. One of our first major decisions along these lines was to join an existing trust, rather than create our own, so administrative expenses would be shared among other funds.
We found other areas where we could cut costs. Rather than shop for our own legal, audit and transfer agent, for example, we opted for a turnkey service provider that could help us through the process of establishing the fund and minimize the disruption to our existing advisory practice. It took about six months to find, interview and decide on a service provider that best fit our needs.
It is extremely important to understand in which areas your turnkey provider functions best. Make sure you know when they will be holding your hand and guiding you, and when you are on your own. Having an open relationship and strong connection with them is crucial so you can discuss shareholder and fund-related issues.