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Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Investor Alley => Topic started by: COEE on November 05, 2016, 05:05:07 PM

Title: Mysterious investment changes
Post by: COEE on November 05, 2016, 05:05:07 PM
I ran into an interesting situation today in one of my retirement accounts.  I have two statements for September that show two different totals.

On October 3rd I generated a September (1st thru 30th) statement that showed a gain of $7.89 in one of the accounts
Today (November 5th) I generated the SAME September (1st thru 30th) statement that showed a gain of $7.42 in the same account.  A $0.47 difference.

How is this possible?  Is this possible?  If I hadn't generated the statement on October 3rd I would have never known.

It's a small difference, but a difference, nonetheless.  If they are taking $0.47 from everyone they would be making money hand over fist.
Title: Re: Mysterious investment changes
Post by: Metric Mouse on November 06, 2016, 01:18:28 AM
I ran into an interesting situation today in one of my retirement accounts.  I have two statements for September that show two different totals.

On October 3rd I generated a September (1st thru 30th) statement that showed a gain of $7.89 in one of the accounts
Today (November 5th) I generated the SAME September (1st thru 30th) statement that showed a gain of $7.42 in the same account.  A $0.47 difference.

How is this possible?  Is this possible?  If I hadn't generated the statement on October 3rd I would have never known.

It's a small difference, but a difference, nonetheless.  If they are taking $0.47 from everyone they would be making money hand over fist.

Did fees get taken out?
Title: Re: Mysterious investment changes
Post by: COEE on November 06, 2016, 03:16:08 AM
That was my first thought as well, but if that's the case then they charged 3.3x what the published expense ratio is. 

I have never seen them take the expense ratio fees out in any of my other accounts - I've always thought that the numbers they report were after the expenses have been taken out.  I've always wondered why expenses are not tracked like a normal deduction from a bank account.  I think they want the average investor to not know how much they are paying.

BTW - we're talking about FTBFX, 0.45% expense ratio, current balance is about 3k.
Title: Re: Mysterious investment changes
Post by: arebelspy on November 06, 2016, 03:33:47 AM
Call and ask, and report back. :)
Title: Re: Mysterious investment changes
Post by: Another Reader on November 06, 2016, 05:11:19 AM
September 30 was a Friday.  October 3 was the following Monday.  Something had not settled by Monday (one business day after the end of the month)  Had you run the report Thursday, you probably would have gotten the correct number.  I used to run the RMD's for an inherited IRA late on on New Year's Eve.  It was close but never right.  Nope.  Has to be after everything settles.
Title: Re: Mysterious investment changes
Post by: COEE on November 06, 2016, 07:03:18 AM
Interesting thought on the timing of the report.  I am obviously going to have to call and ask them.

"It has to be after everything settles"

But wouldn't everything have settled by Monday morning?  The markets closed Friday.
Title: Re: Mysterious investment changes
Post by: Metric Mouse on November 06, 2016, 11:38:20 PM
That was my first thought as well, but if that's the case then they charged 3.3x what the published expense ratio is. 

I have never seen them take the expense ratio fees out in any of my other accounts - I've always thought that the numbers they report were after the expenses have been taken out.  I've always wondered why expenses are not tracked like a normal deduction from a bank account.  I think they want the average investor to not know how much they are paying.

BTW - we're talking about FTBFX, 0.45% expense ratio, current balance is about 3k.

They really don't make it easy to find those expenses, do they?