Funds and ETFs as Investments

Handelsbanken USA index fund, minimum investment €15

:slight_smile:

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I bought something like that a while ago:

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I500


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What is the forum’s take on OP investment insurance versus direct mutual funds? I have read about the pros and benefits from many sources, but I would like to get some practical opinions.

My subjective experience with investment insurance from two different regional Osuuspankki branches a few years back, and with a total of twenty years of experience in wealth management:

  • The meaningfulness of the cooperation with the bank depends particularly on how the chemistry with the wealth manager clicks.
  • If you don’t have “millions” in investment assets, the management of the investment is “in the same pile” with other investors’ investments; this applies to full discretionary management. In other words, don’t expect individual wealth management.
  • Portfolio investments are determined according to your investment profile (conservative, balanced, etc., i.e., the % weight of equities in your portfolio).
  • The wealth manager does not have their finger on the pulse of your investments at all times. Changes to the portfolio come from the “head office” (or if you want changes yourself).
  • Osuuspankki suffers from cooperative “ownerlessness,” meaning they don’t really take responsibility for anything. Explanations, however, are found in abundance, usually after the fact.
  • They mostly populate your portfolio with other funds, so you pay both the management fees of the funds in your portfolio and the wealth management fee. In the long run, portfolio management costing even a couple of percent becomes expensive (loss of compound interest).

I was a wealth management client for too long (IMHO) because I thought it was effortless and carefree. It is, but you have to pay a fair price for it. And too many times it felt like my opinion and what I said had no significance regarding my investment assets.

I withdrew the money and invested it according to the investment profile I felt was best for me (50% equity weight) and to the best of my ability into index funds, ETFs + bond funds + other money markets. This isn’t rocket science, especially if you have some feel for the industry and a long investment horizon.

This is just my own experience; someone else might have different feelings. But these choices are such personal things that you should only do exactly what feels best for you.

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Can OP’s customers have this investment insurance at different prices? Can the prices be renegotiated? For example, does a so-called “better” customer of the bank get lower percentage fees?

I promised to help a friend start monthly investing, and since there are experts here: what is currently the most cost-effective way to invest a few hundred euros a month while still achieving relatively broad diversification? Are those Nordnet Superfunds still good, zero-cost products?

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For funds, the recommendation is Storebrand Global All Countries, and if your savings amounts are around €250 or more, then from the ETF side, SPYI.

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Additionally, for OP customers who wish to stay within OP’s selection, OP-Maailma Indeksi (OP World Index) is a cost-effective option after bonuses.

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I had the exact same experience, with the difference that I didn’t end up becoming a private banking client; due to my “tough” questions, the bank directly commented that it wouldn’t be worth it (for them) unless I wanted their overpriced funds/insurance shells…

Nordnet’s Danish index fund (formerly Super) now has a fee (0.2%).

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A rarely honest comment from a bank, considering that a bank’s primary goal is to sell its paid services, and the customer’s best interest comes somewhere further down the line.

They tried to sell me an insurance wrapper (vakuutuskuori) and such again a year ago, but having learned from previous experience, I declined—specifically citing the cost level compared to the benefit I had previously experienced. They didn’t really have a counter-argument to that.

Of course, price shouldn’t be a dealbreaker if the value of the service obtained exceeds the price paid. And especially when purchasing excellent expert services (in any field), it is worth being prepared to pay. It’s good that there are plenty of options available…

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I came across this: Spiltan Europafond Investmentbolag. A new fund from Spiltan. It’s not on Nordnet yet.

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Are there any more experienced investors here who can recommend good / cost-effective funds / ETF targets? I have one so-called “bullshit fund” over at Nordea where I put in €150 / month, and here on the NN (Nordnet) side, I have a monthly savings agreement for €1,500 / month. There seems to be such a staggering amount of options that it’s hard to pick the “cream of the crop.” The selection of targets in the NN savings agreement turned out to be successful as they are all well in the green except for one; a large holding is very modestly in the red. :smiley:

SPYI ETF is a cost-effective alternative if you don’t want to worry about diversification, as it is a very broad global fund

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Has Nordea disclosed the fund’s largest holdings yet?

From that link, it’s clear that the fund follows the VINX Benchmark Cap index, so the fund’s holdings are likely the same with roughly the same weightings as what can be found in that index.

Google’s AI: “Top 10 Holdings: Include Protector Forsikring, DSV, Securitas B, Ringkjøbing Landbobank, Atlas Copco B, Novo Nordisk B, Mowi, Munters Group, SalMar, and Sampo A”

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You can find the fund’s holdings here:

The largest holding is Novo Nordisk B with a 7.66% share, and the second largest is Investor B with a 4.14% share.

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Thank you both. In another section, it just said that the information is not available yet.

Quite decent that all holdings are visible there