Ep 15: Mutual Funds vs. EFT's: Why We Don't Always Choose the Cheapest Option

Jun 30, 2025
26 mins

Episode Description

💭 "If one of your investment principles is reducing costs, why do you still use mutual funds when ETFs are cheaper?"
That’s the thoughtful listener question that kicks off this episode—and it leads to a wide-ranging discussion about value, strategy, and what really matters in long-term investing.

Join Landis Wiley and Allen Wallace as they unpack why cost alone shouldn’t drive investment decisions—and how institutional mutual funds, qualitative manager traits, and portfolio construction all factor into smarter investing.

 âœ… Why lower cost doesn’t always mean better value in investments
 âœ… The tradeoffs between mutual funds and ETFs, including manager oversight and turnover
 âœ… How Allen evaluates mutual funds using Buffett-inspired criteria
 âœ… The role of qualitative factors: manager passion, strategy, and team depth
 âœ… How Japan’s rising interest rates are affecting global bond markets and investor portfolios

🎯 Whether you're a DIY investor or working with an advisor, this episode offers clarity on how to evaluate investment costs in context, not isolation.

Key points: ETFs vs mutual funds, investment costs, active vs passive, portfolio strategy, Japan interest rates, fund manager analysis

We hope you’ve gained some valuable insights or maybe even a fresh perspective on our topic today. We would love to hear from you with your questions or specific topics you would like us to cover. Simply email us your questions or suggestions to info@basepointwealth.com and who knows, your topic might be featured next.

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Basepoint Wealth, LLC is a registered investment advisor. Please visit www.basepointwealth.com for more information and important disclosures.


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