Buyers' checklist: Four things to consider when picking funds

Fund buyers have had a tough time choosing funds this year, as some of the best known portfolios in the UK have gone through manager changes.

At the same time, many funds that performed well last year, especially in the UK equity space, saw their fortunes change. The past 18 months have seen the departures of a number of star UK equity fund managers: Threadneedle’s Simon Brazier taking a manager and two analysts to Investec Asset Management, Julie Dean unexpectedly leaving Schroders and, of course, the departure of the UK’s best known fund manager, Neil Woodford, from Invesco Perpetual. Add to this increased regulation, pressure on fees, political turmoil, and expectations of an imminent rate hike in the UK, and it becomes ...