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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallDo not sell a mutual fund solely because it lagged its benchmark for one period. First verify that the benchmark matches the fund’s mandate, review several years that include both rising and falling markets, identify the full cost you are paying, read the prospectus and shareholder reports for strategy or operational changes, and then decide whether the fund still fits your goals, risk tolerance and tax situation. Underperformance is a reason to investigate—not an automatic sell signal.
Should you sell a mutual fund that is underperforming?
There is no universal percentage of underperformance that means every investor should sell. A fund can trail an index for a legitimate reason, such as holding a different asset class, maintaining more cash, or operating under a strategy that behaves differently in a particular market. Conversely, a seemingly small lag can be important when it persists for years or results mainly from avoidable costs.
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Use a decision process rather than a single return number. Your conclusion should account for:
- whether the reported benchmark is an apples-to-apples comparison;
- performance over multiple periods and market environments;
- the expense ratio, share class, sales charges and account-level costs;
- changes to the fund’s strategy, managers, risks, turnover or operations;
- taxes and redemption, closing or transfer costs; and
- the job the fund is supposed to perform in your portfolio.
1. Confirm that you are using the right benchmark
A benchmark is useful only when it represents the same investment universe and objective as the fund. The SEC says, “The choice of an appropriate benchmark is important in evaluating performance because it is important to compare apples to apples.” A broad stock index is not automatically suitable for a fund investing in small companies, bonds, international securities, a concentrated sector or a balanced mix.
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Read the fund’s stated objective first
Find the fund’s investment objective and principal strategy in its prospectus and shareholder report. Note the asset class, geography, company size, credit quality, duration, sector limits and whether the manager is actively selecting securities or tracking an index. Then identify the benchmark the fund itself reports. If the benchmark represents a different market segment or different types of investments, the comparison may exaggerate or understate the fund’s relative result.
Use this benchmark check
| Question | What to verify |
|---|---|
| Asset class | Are both the fund and index stocks, bonds, cash or a comparable mix? |
| Market segment | Do they cover similar company sizes, sectors, credit ratings or maturities? |
| Geography | Does the index cover the same country or region exposure? |
| Strategy | Does the fund’s active, value, growth, income or balanced mandate resemble the index? |
| Return basis | Are you comparing total returns, including reinvested distributions, on the same dates? |
Also separate the fund’s investor return from the index’s theoretical return. A benchmark generally does not deduct the fund expenses, sales charges or account costs that you pay. A fund that trails by roughly its stated operating expenses may be delivering close to its mandate after costs; a larger or growing gap needs further explanation.
2. Examine several periods, not one disappointing year
Review annualized returns for periods that include different market conditions. The SEC advises questioning a performance presentation that does not cover reasonable time periods with different market conditions, including both up and down markets. Where available, pay particular attention to five- and ten-year results, while remembering that “The fund’s past performance is not a good predictor of the fund’s future performance.”
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Build a period-by-period view
| Period | What it can tell you | What it cannot prove |
|---|---|---|
| One year | Whether the fund recently benefited from or struggled in a specific market regime. | Whether the result is persistent or likely to reverse. |
| Three years | How the strategy behaved through more than one market phase; use annualized returns. | That the manager has demonstrated a durable long-term edge. |
| Five years | A fuller comparison that may include a complete market cycle; use the report’s stated dates. | That future returns will match this history. |
| Ten years | Long-run consistency, downside behavior and the effect of compounding costs, when the fund has existed that long. | How a newer manager or a changed strategy will perform going forward. |
Look at both up markets and down markets. A conservative fund may lag a rapidly rising stock index yet lose less in a decline. That trade-off can be intentional. A strong one-year result paired with weak longer-term results may not persist, while a sharp recent loss after steadier long-term results could be isolated or could signal a new trend. The shareholder report alone cannot settle which explanation is correct, so connect the numbers to the fund’s strategy and market conditions.
3. Find out whether costs are causing the gap
Fees reduce the assets that remain invested and earning returns. Record the fund’s expense ratio and the share class you actually own, then add costs that may not appear in the headline ratio.
Costs to identify
- Operating expense ratio: the recurring percentage deducted from fund assets for management, administration and other operating expenses.
- Share-class charges: different classes can have different ongoing expenses, sales loads or distribution fees.
- Sales charges: front-end or deferred charges can reduce the amount invested or the amount received when you sell.
- Account costs: brokerage, advisory, custodial or plan fees may apply outside the fund.
- Transaction effects: trading costs are generally reflected indirectly in performance rather than in the expense ratio.
Ask the fund provider or adviser to explain any item you cannot reconcile. For eligible funds and exchange-traded products, FINRA’s Fund Analyzer can help compare the effect of expenses and certain sales charges; confirm that the tool covers the securities and account arrangement you are evaluating.
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What a fee difference can compound to
The SEC’s July 23, 2025 fee bulletin gives a hypothetical illustration—not a forecast or market statistic. If $100,000 grows at 4% a year for 20 years, the ending value is approximately $208,000 with a 0.25% annual fee, $198,000 with a 0.50% fee and $179,000 with a 1.00% fee. The example shows why a recurring fee difference matters even when it looks small in a single year.
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4. Read the prospectus and shareholder reports for changes
Performance numbers are easier to interpret when you know what the fund owned and how it was run. The prospectus describes the objective, principal strategies, risks, fees and policies. Shareholder reports provide performance data, a performance graph, portfolio information and discussions of material developments.
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Look for changes that can break a historical comparison
- a new portfolio manager or adviser;
- a revised investment objective, benchmark or concentration limit;
- merger, liquidation, reorganization or a change in share class;
- changes in derivatives use, cash management or borrowing;
- rapid growth or shrinkage in assets; and
- changes in operating expenses or fee waivers.
The SEC identifies fund age and size, volatility and operational changes as factors that may matter when evaluating performance. A ten-year record under a former manager may not describe the current process, while a young fund may simply lack a long record.
Understand turnover and taxes
Portfolio turnover measures how much of the portfolio is replaced over a year. A high rate can indicate greater trading costs and may increase taxable capital-gains distributions in a taxable account. Check the shareholder report for turnover and distribution history, then consider whether the fund’s trading pattern is consistent with its stated strategy. Tax effects differ by account type and by your personal tax situation; do not assume that a tax cost shown in one year will recur in the same amount.
5. Test the fund against your own portfolio job
Relative performance matters only in the context of what you need the holding to do. Define the fund’s role: growth, income, inflation protection, diversification, capital preservation or another purpose. Compare its current risk and holdings with your time horizon and need for access to the money.
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| Possible action | When it may be reasonable to investigate | Checks before acting |
|---|---|---|
| Hold and monitor | The benchmark fits, the period reviewed is short or unusually adverse, costs are reasonable and the mandate still fits. | Set a review date and the specific measures you will revisit; do not treat that date as a guaranteed recovery deadline. |
| Replace or rebalance | The mandate, risk level, diversification or cost no longer fits your plan, or persistent differences cannot be explained by the strategy. | Compare like-for-like alternatives, taxes, loads, transfer costs and the effect on overall allocation. |
| Sell or transfer after review | The fund has a material strategy or operational change, unacceptable risk, or costs that conflict with your objectives. | Check redemption terms, settlement, tax basis and whether selling is required to move accounts. |
This framework is not a personalized recommendation. The appropriate action depends on facts such as your tax basis, account type, withdrawal needs and tolerance for losses.
6. Account for taxes and transaction costs before switching
In a taxable account, selling appreciated shares can create a capital-gains tax liability; selling at a loss can have tax consequences and may interact with wash-sale rules when you buy a substantially identical investment. Distributions from the fund can also create taxable income even if you did not sell your shares. Obtain your cost basis and distribution information before placing an order.
When moving between firms or changing account types, ask whether the transfer can be made in kind. If the process requires liquidation, include potential taxes, redemption fees, closing fees and transfer charges in the comparison. Retirement-account transfers have their own rules and deadlines, so confirm the procedure with the receiving institution or a qualified tax professional.
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7. A practical review checklist
- Write down the fund’s objective, asset classes, geographic focus and reported benchmark.
- Verify that the benchmark covers a comparable market segment and uses comparable total-return data.
- Collect one-, three-, five- and ten-year figures, when available, for the fund and benchmark.
- Mark periods of both rising and falling markets and explain the largest relative gaps.
- Record the expense ratio, share class, loads, account fees and any available fee waivers.
- Read the latest prospectus and shareholder reports, including the performance graph and management discussion.
- Check turnover, portfolio concentration, volatility, fund age, assets and operational changes.
- Estimate taxes and redemption, closing or transfer costs for each possible action.
- Decide whether the fund still performs the role your plan requires at a risk and cost you accept.
- Document the reason for holding, replacing or rebalancing so a future market move does not make the decision for you.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Comparing unlike investments: judging a bond fund against a broad stock index can make normal behavior look like failure.
- Chasing the latest winner: a recent leader may have benefited from a temporary market regime.
- Ignoring distributions: comparing price changes instead of total returns omits reinvested income.
- Looking only at the expense ratio: share-class loads, advisory fees and trading effects can change the real cost.
- Assuming a long record describes today: manager, mandate and benchmark changes can make old results less relevant.
- Forgetting taxes: a replacement that looks better before tax may leave you worse off after selling.
- Treating a tool as a verdict: a calculator can show fee effects, but it cannot decide whether the fund fits your objectives.
What performance data can—and cannot—tell you
Organizations such as S&P Dow Jones Indices publish SPIVA reports that compare active-fund results with benchmarks. Those reports describe groups of funds over specified periods; they do not establish whether your particular fund will recover or whether switching is suitable for you. Use market-wide comparisons as context, then return to the fund’s mandate, costs, risks and your plan.
The most defensible conclusion is therefore conditional: keep investigating when the benchmark is mismatched, the periods are too short, costs are unexplained or the fund no longer fits. Consider a change when your objectives, risk capacity, taxes and total costs support it—not simply because a headline return is below an index.
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