We are deeply committed to making
each Masters’ Select
Fund a highly satisfying long-term investment for shareholders.
In following through on this commitment we are guided by
our core values, which influence four specific areas of
service:
First, we are committed
to the Masters’ Select concept.
- We will only hire managers who we strongly believe will deliver exceptional long-term returns relative to their benchmarks. We base this belief on extremely thorough due diligence research. This not only requires us to assess their stock picking skills, but also to evaluate their ability to add incremental performance by investing in a concentrated portfolio of their highest conviction ideas.
- We will monitor
each of the managers so that we can maintain our confidence
in their ability to deliver the long-term performance
we expect. In addition our monitoring will seek to assess
whether they are staying true to their Masters’ Select mandate. Consistent with this mandate we focus on long-term performance evaluation so that the Masters’ Select
stock pickers will not be distracted by short-term performance
pressure.
Second, we will do all we can to ensure that the framework within which our stock pickers do their work further increases the odds of success.
- Each Fund will
be closed at an asset level that locks in a high degree
of flexibility for each stock picker.
- The framework
also includes the diversified multi-manager structure
that makes it possible for each manager to invest in
a concentrated manner knowing that the potential volatility
within his portfolio will be diluted at the fund level
by the performance of the other managers. The multi-manager
structure seeks to provide the diversification necessary
to temper the volatility of each manager’s sub-portfolio.
- We will work hard to discourage short-term speculators so that cash flows into the Fund are not volatile. Lower volatility helps prevent our managers from being forced to sell stocks at inopportune times or to hold excessive cash for non-investment purposes. This is why years ago the funds implemented a six-month 2% redemption fee that is paid to each Fund for the benefit of shareholders.
Third, is our commitment to do all we can from an operational standpoint to maximize shareholder returns.
- We will remain attentive to fund overhead and whenever we achieve savings we will pass them through to shareholders. For example, we have had several manager changes that resulted in lower sub-advisory fees to our funds. In every case we have passed through the full savings to shareholders in the form of fee waivers.
- There will be no loads, 12b-1 charges or any distribution charges.
- We also work closely with our sub-advisors
to make sure they are aware of tax-loss selling opportunities (only to be taken
if there are equally attractive stocks to swap into). We account for partial sales
on a specific tax lot basis so that shareholders will benefit from the most favorable
tax treatment. The goal is not to favor taxable shareholders over tax-exempt shareholders
but to make sure that the Masters’ Select stock pickers are taking advantage of
tax savings opportunities when doing so is not expected to reduce pre-tax returns.
Fourth, is our commitment to communicate honestly about all relevant developments and expectations.
- We will continue to do this by providing thorough and educational shareholder reports.
- We will continue to provide what we believe are realistic assessments of the investment environment.
Our commitment to Masters’ Select is also evidenced by our own investment. Our employees have, collectively, substantial investments in the Funds, as does our company retirement plan. In addition, we use the Funds extensively in our client accounts in our investment advisor practice (through our affiliate Litman/Gregory Asset Management, LLC). We have no financial incentive to do so because the fees we receive from Masters’ Select held in client assets are fully offset against the advisory fees paid by our clients. In fact, we have a disincentive to use the funds in our client accounts because each Masters’ Select Fund is capacity constrained (they will be closed at the pre-determined asset levels mentioned above) and by using them in client accounts we are using up capacity for which we are not paid. But we believe these Funds offer value that we can’t
get elsewhere and this is why we enthusiastically invest
in them ourselves and on behalf of clients.
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