Mutual Fund vs UITF – Similarities and Differences: Advantages and Disadvantages

What’s the difference between a mutual fund and UITF? Which is better – investing in UITF or investing in Mutual Fund? Because many readers were asking about mutual fund vs UITF from my previous posts about stock market and trust funds, I’m sharing here the similarities and differences of the two together with the advantages and disadvantages. I’d like to thank all Philpaddicts for always reading and commenting. I hope you love this post and may it inspire you to enjoy investing. I’m dedicating it to all of you.

mutual fund vs uitf
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Mutual Fund vs UITF

A mutual fund is a type of investment wherein you join other investors and corporations to form a massive fund which will be handled by an expert/professional who is called fund manager for diversified portfolios of stocks, bonds, securities, money markets and other mutual funds. In MF, you buy shares of the investment company thus that makes you a shareholder and gives you shareholder’s right including voting power and opportunity to receive dividends.

UITF (Unit Investment Trust Fund) is also a type of investment where you join other investors and entities to form a Trust Fund which will be handled by Trust expert/professional for diversified portfolios of stocks, bonds, securities, money markets and other funds. In UITFs, you buy units of investment in the fund thus you will earn from the gain or loss resulting from the fund performance. Unlike MF, it won’t make you shareholder of the company.

Similarities of Mutual Fund and UITF:

  • Both funds are pooled and open-ended investments meaning they are pooled by different kinds of funds, people and companies to be invested and diversified to other investments like stocks, bonds, securities, money market and other mutual funds and trust funds. They are open-ended investments meaning you can buy or redeem anytime you want.
  • Both funds are managed by fund managers who are already experts about investment fund growth, strategies and meeting target performance.
  • Both fund investments are risky in nature however they can give you higher returns and can yield amazing money and capital growth.
  • Mutual Funds and UITFs usually offer the following types of funds and investments:
  1. Money Market Funds –moderate risk; short term
  2. Bond Funds – moderate risk; long term
  3. Equity Funds – aggressive; long term
  4. Balanced Funds – aggressive; long term
  • Both funds are not insured by the PDIC because they are not deposit accounts

Differences between Mutual Fund vs UITF

How to invest:

Mutual Fund – you can open an account by talking to a licensed mutual fund agent first so you’ll know the different types of MF available for you according to your risk tolerance (risk appetite), capacity to invest and your investment goal. See the list of Mutual Funds Companies in the Philippines accredited by SEC.

UITF – you can open an account by talking to a Trust representative of a bank. Banks usually have special representatives (not tellers) for Trust Investments and related products. If you can’t find one at the bank, talk to the bank manager. They will always be glad to assist you.

Regulatory Body:

Mutual Funds – are regulated by SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission)

UITFs – are regulated by the BSP (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas)

Minimum Investment

Mutual Fund – the minimum amount I know so far is P5000. Take note that some MF have different minimum amount requirements since there are different funds.

UITF – the minimum amount for UITF like Equity Fund and Balanced Fund is usually P10,000. For other UITFs, the usual minimum investment is P100,000.

Holding Period:

Mutual Fund – majority of mutual funds has 6 months minimum holding period although there are only few which have 30-day holding period.

UITF – majority has 30 days of minimum holding period and also 45 days to some.

Price of Funds:

Mutual Fund – in mutual funds, you buy shares in the investment company therefore prices are expressed and reported in NAVPS (Net Asset Value Per share)

UITF – in UITF, you buy units of participation in the Trust Fund therefore prices are expressed and reported in NAVPU (Net Asset Value Per Unit)

Fees and Charges:

Mutual Fund – there may be entry fees around .50% – 5.00% and management fees associated with this investment

UITF – no entry fees but with trust fee ranges from .50% to 1.00% per annum, there can also be redemption fees especially if you redeem your fund before the holding period

Advantages of Investing in Mutual Funds:

  • They are usually more and well regulated since companies really focused on their funds and their performance. Reports are more transparent since shareholders need to know fund performance, reporting, portfolios, dividends etc.
  • May give the investors dividends and other shareholder’s rights
  • Tax exempt in terms of Capital Gains

Disadvantages of Investing in Mutual Funds:

  • They charge entry fees and management fees
  • MF companies are not so easy to find like banks where branches are almost everywhere

Advantages of Investing in UITF:

  • Easy access because you can open an account in any branch of the bank near you
  • They offer wide variety of funds you can choose from
  • No entry fees and costly management fees

Disadvantage of investing in UITF:

  • It won’t make the investors part of the company and won’t give shareholder’s rights

Which is better Mutual Fund or UITF?

Mutual Funds and UITF are both effective and well proven ways of money and wealth building. This is so true according to the rich and wise investors. Nothing is better than the other if you asked me. Both funds are kinda similar in nature but can give you thousands or millions of money if invested correctly by checking each fund’s performance and investment participation.

Mutual fund vs UITF? They are both risky yet they both could give you higher returns compared to just letting your money or fund rest in your vault or savings account. This I am absolutely sure of:

If you have mutual funds and UITF, you belong to the very few wise investors in the world.”

To learn more about Mutual Fund vs UITF, read our previous posts:

How to invest in Mutual Funds in the Philippines – Make Money, make Millions

Investing in BDO UITF Equity Fund Review

Fehl is the founder of Philpad. She has a degree in Accountancy and a background in Finance. She is a licensed Career Service Professional and author of a poetry book at Barnes & Noble. In her spare time, she likes to travel and vlog.

119 thoughts on “Mutual Fund vs UITF – Similarities and Differences: Advantages and Disadvantages”

  1. Hi, still trying to decide which one is best for me VUL, MF or UITF. but one thing dawned on me and i need your opinion. how does death play a role in all this. i’ve heard about the problems encountered by loved ones in claming bank accounts. this applies to MF and UITFs right? so since nothing is certain as death and taxes, is VUL the “safest” way to go?

    appreciate to get a response from you. thank you!

    Reply
    • Hi manny!

      To answer your question…

      In VUL since it has an insurance part, upon death of the owner or insured, the amount insured or fund value (less taxes and whatever fees, if there are), whichever is higher will be released. Moreover, i believe claims for irrevocable beneficiaries (upon death of the insured and/or policy owner) are tax exempt.

      In MF, I believe some companies offer MFs that has beneficiaries ergo it’ll also be released upon death however there is no assured amount since it’s not insurance. Nevertheless, usually MFs doesn’t have beneficiaries ergo the process for claim is quite long.

      UITFs are same with MFs. Haven’t heard of UITFs that has beneficiaries though. Ergo process for claim is also quite long.

      “Best” and “safest” would be subject to each individuals need. On your case, your concern is taxes and claims upon death of the policy owner and/or insured, then VUL or the MFs with beneficiaries would be the “best” and “safest”.

      However, you may want first to know how much insurance you need or how much money you’ll need for a specific objective on a specific time. Product(s) you may need to invest will differ based on your goals / objectives. You need capital building? then MFs/UITFs could be greater than VULs. You want to build capital but also with insurance just to be safe? then go for VULs. You just need insurance? go for term life insurance.

      Reply
  2. Hi Ms. Fehl,

    I’m planning to invest also but I’m not sure what to choose. Can you also help me decide which company is the best to invest in? For Mutual Funds and UITF? Thanks. 🙂

    Reply
  3. Hi Miss Fehl,

    I’m 24 yrs old, planning to invest in UITF and MF this July 2016 but I noticed that the market is bullish. Is still a good time to invest? Should I wait for the market to go down? But I’ve heard that the market will go higher since it’s a new administration. Hope you’ll respond. 🙂

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • UITF and MF are managed investments so it’s ok to invest even if the market is bullishIt’s better to have invested now than later. Decide according to your objective, risk appetite and plan.

      Reply
  4. I am not Miss Fehl, but I only invest in UITF’s.

    UITF’s Not that they are better than just plain old stocks, (Warren Buffet has no stock now, only gold and cash,) UITF’s are less volatile since it is hard to build a portfolio with only let’s say, 20K in stocks

    You need at least 20 different stocks in your bucket of gold, (SAME AS what they do for Mutual or MONEY MARKET) to notice less downward moment, or sudden movement…Also, I am also lazy, The portfolio is done for me, usually having some mining, petroleum, utilities, equities, corporate bonds, bla bla bla. That is a portfolio (UITF) and it works great

    NEXT: Please, you do not have extra cash, you have cash, so let’s back up, far, until all you have is cash

    ALWAYS use the 60% 40% rule, or if you are greedy or live dangerously, like a bungie jumper, 70/30 ok, meaning, 70% invested 30% cash, or known as cash reserve, meaning money for emergencies or money to buy more stock or bonds, or UITF, if there is a down turn…Yes, you buy more in bad times not sell

    So, you need to figure out, if you have, at the very least, 30% of your holding, or net worth in cash…So, if you have 100K vested and 20K in cash, you need how much more cash? You need around 10K to 20K in what is called cash reserve, not extra cash

    I do not like MF’s because they are full of hidden fees, such as back end fees, front end fees, placement fees, fees for advertisement you pay for everything, plus 1. 5% management fee

    But that is me…Did that help?

    Miss Fehl?

    Reply
  5. hi po,
    gusto.ko na po mag start mag invest sa bdo eip pero ang hindi ko lng po maintindihan is ano po ung holding period..kasi po ofw po ako. I plan to invest long term and redeem after 5yrs or more..ano po ung sinasabi nilang multa? un po ba ung gustong mag redeem agad? tnx po pls.reply

    Reply
    • Minimum holding period is the minimum time you cannot redeem your units. Unless of course you like to pay early redemption fees. If you will invest in 5 years, you can ignore the holding period

      Reply
  6. I think the mistake here is just a lack of knowledge and understanding the terms used in the investment world, and one of them is, “Holding Period…”

    HOLDING meaning, something is held…MONEY

    PERIOD meaning period of time or length of time being held

    HOLDING PERIODS: are the length of time your money is held, either without recourse to get it back, or with, recourse, or with, or without a penalty

    Philippine UITF’s, have holding periods (not Money Market Funds) have some sort of holding period, meaning, 30 days to prevent a penalty

    Okay you wish to split hairs, and some here like to seem smart and do that, yes, you can go to the bank the next day and ask for your money back…BUT

    You will pay a penalty and for your information, you still have to wait, 4 more days, to have it placed back into your account…..You cannot just go into the bank and say, ” Bong Bong, I want my money back,” and they give it to you

    I wish for people here, before they try to act wise, to do their homework, and fully understand the investment language, because you could screw someone up, into thinking they can get their money back and they cannot, or pay a high fee to get it back and still wait 4 more BANKING DAYS!

    But this happens here, people get jealous because they cannot invest and drop words which make no sense

    Thank you

    Reply
  7. Fehl: Questions for you

    #1. I never considered the election year before, I was working to much, so I am guessing here…COULD IT GET WORSE BEFORE BETTER? Last quarter this year, because our election is in November..THOUGHTS? GUESS also for me LOL

    #2A. Bloomberg said, or some on Bloom, said 2016 will be a good year BETTER THAN 2015…I find that to be true, only because they tanked 4thQ 2015 and 1stQ 2016…If your down your down so only way is up…Things are so bad, it has to go up…Drama, or applause?

    #2B. I believe as you did, and said, 2016 will be drama motivated, just as 2015, volatility and sideways walking? No Zumba classes this year? LOL

    #3 Do you advise, to wait until after the March drop? Or just buy now and ride it out? Nothing is really lost

    #4. Yes, everyone, good or bad, stick to Miss Fehl’s Blue Chips, and or her lists. Please watch the financial news, such as On The Money, on ANC also and search out the financial people from the Master Touch radio station I think it is around 105, before buying ?

    All of them also have websites, but this one, Miss Fehl, is crucial and updated, so stay close her, please…Also, Eric Mendoza from ANC, on the money, he is on twitter…Ask him also…He does reply but takes 2 or 3 days

    But I feel and see an upward spike in the trends and then it slides in March middle of March but will go back up, so hold on

    I think, give or take a few phps, we are at the new bottom and as Miss Felh would say, there is a slow correction which means to her and me, NO! stocks do not fix themselves, or correct, people tank them so they can go up again…SEE? GOT ! SEE the game they play, now us brown baggers have to sit and wait…This is why we flip

    If you own, get ready to flip in March, first week, stick to Miss Fehl and watch the market yourself…Don’t blame miss Fehl for a screwed up market

    Reply
    • 1. I don’t think election will have a significant impact
      2. It will be a good year in a way things will go up but it already started poorly, that means it will take time to climb up from there and recover. Recovery is not yet a rise
      3. Buy now and ride it out at least you didn’t lose the past chance 🙂
      4. I watch ANC but not religiously like you LOL and read COL’s posts and always listen to my trusted source from the big office

      Reply
      • Hey guys, I’m have excess cash right now and planning to invest in uitf and mutual fund. Please which I will prioritize. I get both equity funds. Is it okay to place my excess cash 50:50 between the 2 or what? Thanks in advance. ?

        Reply
  8. In my opinion, election years are a good time to invest:

    #1. If you wait until the turmoil of alleged uncertainty is over…When that is, I cannot tell you, it is subjective and a gamble, but I do guess below.

    #2. And, sort of the same thing said, with different words, everything has come down…and is done coming down..Again, when, is a tough one.

    The thing about an election year, OVER SIMPLIFYING IT, is, it is nothing ore than another world event, so it is no different than let’s say, China, devaluating its currency, the stock market, and its fake sudden drops, or weak knees, the US Federal Reserve, adjusting rates up or down, or even just saying it in the news…Remember August 24th? Then there is gold, or oil, dropping…It is all silly excuses and okay, facts, which affect the market, which means, it affects us little guys..

    I cannot stress this enough…Every year, you will have drama in the market…The only difference is, where are you when it hits, or drops? And how serious, or how dramatic the news media makes it out to be

    Volatility in the market, reflects human excuses about world events…Even though most of the people in the market are men, they act like a bunch of silly school girls breaking the hearts of pimply faced boys who soon learn to break the hearts of girls…Tit-for-Tate

    What I am saying is, we are all at the mercy of people, other investors, who just not care about your future..Not one darn thing…I watch Bloomberg TV, each and every morning from 430 am until I take my walk and they interview some of the nicest and richest people you will ever meet in the world…But they lie, because they talk about long term investing, 10 year corporate planning, security, safety, employees need higher wages, bla bla.

    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ALL BS >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.>>>>>

    Now you guys tell me…If this was true, why do the trends for the stock markets all over the world and UITF’s in the Philippines

    #1. Drop like a rock, just before the USA Thanksgiving holiday?

    #2. Goes back up, some, until around the 10th to the 19 of December?

    #3 Why does it tank, in January?

    #4. Why does it rise like crazy, most of the time, only to drop in early March?

    To name a few? How is this, long term investing, futures, company and employees caring? It is called flipping, and you need to learn how to do it…It is the only way to get your money to compound the money earned, and earn money on that money earned

    If you not flip, they will, and cause your money to do down…Again

    It is the new technological form of insider trading called flipping based on algorithms, the same computer date, or mega-data, metadata, computations that Google uses to predict your every move, with a great degree of accuracy

    WIKIPEDIA SAYS:

    An algorithm is an effective method that can be expressed within a finite amount of space and time and in a well-defined formal language for calculating a function.

    Starting from an initial state and initial input the instructions describe a computation that, when executed, proceeds through a finite number of well-defined successive states, eventually producing “output” and terminating at a final ending state.

    This means, that the trends of long ago, are recreated, once again, today and in the future…Yes, world events affect the market also, but so do direct human contact

    In closing, it is a great time to invest, if you not mind seeing your stocks or UITF go down more, before they will go up, because it will not settle, in the dust of the elections, until the new sitting presidents, in both the USA and the Philippines, give their state of the union addresses about the first 100 days and what they plan to do about healthcare, inflation, banking regulations and bla bla bla

    But please understand…If the market tanks to absolute nothing, it is either:

    #1. Armageddon, and money will have no value, anyways, not even gold

    Or

    #2. It will go up again, as it did in 1932, 2008, and 2011

    The ultimate choice is yours..

    Do your homework, follow the 60/40 rule, or at worst the 70/30 meaning sit on some cash, buy as low as you can and sell as high as you can and OMG don’t panic

    Miss Fehl? Anything to add or take away?

    Reply
  9. Hope you can enlighten me.

    If I have a UITF with 30 days holding period, do I have to withdraw on the 30th or 31st?

    What if I decide to continue, do I need to advise the bank?

    If I withdraw it beyond the holding period, does it automatically run another 30 days or new holding period/cycle?

    Reply
    • NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT ONE BUT GOOD QUESTION…sort of 🙁

      I do not mean to sound rude, but most questions asked here, can be answered by anyone, even yourself…No one here is pressing Miss Fehl for her full wisdom…Yes, she is a friend, but I would not beg people to test her and get into her brain, if she could not handle it: She can…And if she not know the answer, she will find someone who does…Having said that, here is the short answer

      SHORT ANSWER: NEITHER:

      A 30 day holding period, has nothing to do with the calendar, except for figuring out holidays and banking days, nothing more

      A 30 day HOLDING period is not a calendar month…30 days is 30 days and a month is a month, not being defined by daily limits, since this year, we have a 29 day February

      It has to do with the cut off date, and time of day, in which you purchased the FUND…Usually 2 pm to buy on the date you bought

      EXAMPLE: if you purchased, OR CONTRIBUTED, 10K php in to the The Fortune Cookie Fund, at the bank of King Kano, before the cut off time of 2:00 pm, on March 20th 2016, your available sell date, or end of the holding period will be…

      March has 31 days, so that is 10, days for March.

      Then adding an additional 20 days, for April, so my best guess would be the first BANKING DAY ON OR AFTER April 20th

      Ask your banker!!!!!!!!!!!!

      Read your paperwork!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      MY FAVORITE THE LONG ANSWER

      There is none, that is all there is 🙂

      Miss Fehl?

      Reply
      • Very good my friend. If I may add, Dada you are not obliged to redeem at the holding period. The holding period is just a time-frame you need to follow to avoid early redemption fees 🙂 It’s your choice when to redeem or not redeem or when to add investment or not add investment. God bless!

        Reply
    • Hi! If I were not mistaken, a uitf has no holding period meaning you can withdraw it anytime. As for example, you opened it yesterday you can withdraw it tomorrow or the other day with no charge.The mutual funds has its holding period which depends on the kind of fund you availed. If you availed a mutual fund with a holding period of 30 days, you can withdraw at the 31st. The holding period we are talking about here is banking days. Let us say 30 banking days. ? There are 2 kinds of redemption or withdrawal. 1. Partial redemption- you just withdraw partial amt from your investment you just need to leave at least the maintaining balance of fund you chose. For uitf-10k and mf-5k. 2. Full redemption- you will withdraw all of your funds.

      Reply
      • 🙁

        TO PREVENT AN ARGUMENT and to save me time

        SHORT REPLY
        At BDO, UITF there is nothing to of the sort…

        If you know of a bank, offering UITF’s, with this sort of service let me know, WILL JUMP UP AND DOWN SCREAM YAHOOOOOO FOR YOUR HELP..How is that for no confidence

        I have over 3 million Php in BDO UITF’s and not one of them, is as you said and I would pull it all out, even if I lost money and move it, to you bank but I can say that with a smile, since all UITF’s have same rule, because of the regulations, except for possibly Bonds, or MF which are not true UITF and some have a 100K buy in

        Reply
  10. Hi, Your posts have been so useful to me. Thank you very much for taking time to share your investing ideas. You are indeed helping in changing the lives of Filipinos. Mine will change soon.

    I am contemplating on which step to take. After reading your post, I have become so interested with investing in the Mutual Fund. With that, I had a seminar with FAMI and a separate seminar with a Financial Broker who offered me with a similar savings idea but with Philamlife – a combi of insurance and equity fund investment. I was told that the only difference is the insurance part, the investment side is the same for both Philamlife and FAMI. Is this true? Also, at which investment is my money safer?

    Please help me. More power to you and may God bless you more!

    Reply
  11. Hi..ask ko lang po na kapag ni redeem mo yung pera from uitf, kasama ba yung monthly na hinulog mo na or yung initial investment lang na 10k ang pwede at yung na earn mo?

    Reply
      • Ms. Fehl,

        Bakit ung BDO staff sabi nung nag inquire ako, kapag nag redeem ng UITF hndi pwdeng partial or ilang units lang. I have to close the UITF and surrender the certificate…

        Thanks in advance

        Reply
        • I know you ask miss Fehl, but if my Tagalog is ok, yes, you cannot redeem some it must be all…I made the mistake buying 500K of Balance Fund, and only wanted to cash in 25K so I lost over 35K selling it all…Now my wife and I buy only 25K even if it is 250…If enough people drove them crazy and did this they would do the same thing stocks do and allow you to sell shares not certificates…Now, since this section of Miss Fehl’s blog is UITF VS Mutual Funds, this is one difference for sure, for everything…Sorry to say my wife was in BDO for 2 hours signing papers because she had to sign papers for 25K times 20 LOL but it is their fault..Yes, you will nee to sell all and give them the certificate

          Reply
    • I AM NOT MISS FEHL AND MY VIEWS MAY, OR MAY NOT BE THE SAME AS HERS…THESE VIEWS ARE THE VIEWS OF KING KANO, ONLY AND SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED INSIDE INFORMATION…I know what you are saying here, and the short answer is is yes, you can…The long answer is, first we need to talk about two important things and please do not be mad, I am trying to help..#1. Please do not use the word play, or the Tagalog equivalent of playing..Yes, to some extent, this is a game, it is about winners and losers, but it is still a serious game…You are investing by buying a personal interest, in the form of bonds, stocks, UITF’s, bla bla, and those personal interests, go up and down in value, based on many issues, including, world event, so use the words; “Can I invest in UITF’s, sell them when high and buy back, when low…” Yes, of course, this applies to stocks and other investments, as well, but make sure you are high and willing not to spend it, until they go low…Graph your tends…#2 Is. If you are already invested, this is something you should have known before you invested…If you are asking this before you bought, or invested, good job, you did good but if you bought and not ask your banker or do your homework, you are on a bad start and glad you came to DR. Fehl, to cure you…LOL…You can buy and sell, high or low, as you wish, in any investment, if your profits will out weigh any fees, commissions, or penalties for early sales…Now, EXAMPLE: Most bank UITF’d, only have a 30 day holding period…Selling before this 30 day time limit, even 29 days, you will pay, usually, anywhere between 1.0% and 1.5%… You should know this, as well, if you bought..Please read the back of your certificate of ownership for more rules, or your client stability or suitability evaluation paperwork you signed…In most cases, it is in English, please ask for translation into Tagalog, or one of the 3 major dialects…You buy, for EXAMPLE: 100K php of Equity Index Fund, and sell only 50K at let’s say 3.00 php a unit, and yes, buy back, 50K at hopefully lower than you sold those units, such as 2.00 php a unit, or shares…Before you make a move, please read your paperwork if you bought already, so make sure you not brake rules and get charges penalties…Miss. Fehl will check my work here and comment soon…Good question, don’t feel bad, just please study…If you have questions, get my Google plus account or from miss Fehl, if she allows that…God Bless!

      Reply
    • I AM NOT MISS FEHL AND THESE VIEWS ARE THE VIEWS OF ME ONLY AND NOT THE VIEWS OF MISS FEHL…SHORT ANSWER IS: YES, you can do anything you wish, but as I suggested to @mydiskarte, above, you need to read your paperwork, talk to your banker, and do your homework…LONG ANSWER: Miss Fehl, can only give you good advice, based on what she knows about your case, and personality, and does she knows this? NO, but I am sure she would say and I do as well, which UITF? Are you willing to see your capital, go down in value? If your capital, goes down, can you wait, let’s say, 6 months for all of, yes, all of the markets, to recover, or correct? I said all markets, because most UITF’s, are FUNDS, so if you research the investment disclosures, they will show you a pie chart containing any, or all, of the following, in various amounts, such as mining, equities, bonds, securities, government bonds, or securities, bank deposits, property, and other investments…Since this is your emergency fund, only invest 25% now, wait the 30 day holding period, then invest the other 25%, and stop there…Always have a cash reserve, but remember, it is end of year, world events suck, and there is a lot of stock manipulation right now, because it is 4th quarter, so try 25% and wait until after the US FED makes it decision to raise interests in ether December and/ or March…What does the USA have to do with Philippine, UITF’s? Everything, check graphs for August 24th to August 28th

      Reply
    • I am not Fehl, but of course you can, if you have the funds to invest in them, enough to make a difference and meet the minimum buy in requirement…You can even invest in a BDO’s UITF package called a Money Market, but I am not sure if it is exactly the same, meaning, with Mutual Funds you own a piece of the rock, or shares, making you a small owner of the investment company…A VERY VERY SMALL OWNER, giving you voting rights…I have learned, if you do not own a major portion of the available shares, your vote will not matter, however, you will be sent dividends, USUALLY EACH QUARTER sort of like interest payments, UTIF’s no, but less fees and more fun…Personally, I have yet to see good growth from bonds or Mutual Funds, of any kind, honest growth, unless you enjoy selling high, always, and buying low, always, over and over again, but there may be tax advantages to some bonds and Mutual Funds but some people like to own stuff…Me, I am tired of being told I own something, only later told, someone else bought it and me along with it..I’m retired and love it…BDO’s Mutual Fund, to me does not look like a real Mutual Fund, it is just the name they give it…They seem to suggest it is short term, 91 days to 1 year…To me, that is not a mutual fund…Miss Fehl, is the BDO, UITF, called a Mutual Fund, by definition, or just the name given a UITF portfolio? I find it missleading, if I am wrong, I am sorry

      Reply
  12. ask ko lang po nagapply po ako thru online sa SSS para sa E1, nafiil-upan ko na po yung binigay sa akin na link ng SSS sa email ko. tapos po may nakalagay po sa last na SAVE / NEXT nung clinick ko po yung next ayaw na pong mag-next? pano po ba talaga mag apply for E1 sa SSS? pumunta na po ako SSS novaliches Quezon city ang sinabi po sa akin ay thru online na po daw yung application for E1. ginawa ko nman po yung step na binigay sa akin? tumawag na rin po ako sa SSS hotline hindi naman po makontak yung SSS hotline? ito po yung SSS hotline (632) 920-6446 to 55? pakisagot naman po asap salamat po.

    Reply
  13. Good day,
    Nagkaroon p ako ng interest n mag invest. Maaari nyo p b I-explain p ng mas maintindihan k yung tungkol s bpi-philam equity index fund 2. Klase din p b ito ng iutf?ano p ang pro’s and con’s nito. Ganun p b talaga kalaki ang dapat bayaran example p 70k annually or 50k monthly?

    Reply
  14. Good day. Really eager to learn about investing. Someone s bpi ang nag offer about their bpi-philam equity index fund 2. Naintindihan k sya ng konti pero maaari po bang mas I-elaborate at may explain nyo p yung system ng mas maige. Is it also an iutf kind of investment. Ano p yung pro’s and con’s nito para s isang ordinary citizen n katulad k n sapat lng ang kita? Talaga po bang fix n yung price n kailangan k bayaran for ex 70k annually or 5k monthly.
    Thank you .

    Reply
  15. hi ms Fehl,

    8 months pa lang po ako sa job ko. this is my first job right after ng board exam. and I became interested about having investments. to a beginner like me na talagang clueless , though medyo naiintindihan ko na ngayon kahit konti (thanks to you), what can you suggest me to begin with?

    Reply
  16. Hi. Goo day. I just read your blogs tonight lang talaga. I have to be honest –this is my first time ever to read about MF. I’m interested to invest in MF pero hindi ko pa xa masayadong na iintindihan. So here ae my questions:

    1. Kung mg invest ako ng MF with P5,000 as minimum opening fee, meron pa ba akong ibang ‘HIDDEN CHARGES” na babayaran? (ex: service fee etc.)
    2. Then yung holding period– ano po yun? Sa MF kasi 6 months. Does that mean na mag babayad ako nang 5,000 every month for 6 months for the MF? Pwede po bang tig iisang libo lang after paying the minimum opening ?
    3. Let’s say after ng holding perio, anong gagawin ko after that? Should/Can I “withdraw” the money that I invested?

    Reply
    • Hi,

      I am reading this June 26 2016 and eto po mismo tanong ko, i wonder if your question has been answered or if you started investing. How was it, and what were the steps you took…salamat po 🙂

      Reply
    • No not at all, but for me and only MEEEE to GUESS AT FUTURE GROWTH, of a fund, I compound the current return percentage…EXAMPLE: BDO Equity Fund, 5 year yield of, let’s say, 63%. I divide it by 5 years to get, an average percentage rate of return of 12.6% a year…Then, I compound that 12.6% for 10 years but that was done by, me, a person, a human-being…I compounded that %%% over and over, for 10 years, which can be a 163% capital gain, to see what I will make in 10 years, at the current growth rate of 12.6% annually…BUT!!! I did this, because, I would be leaving my growth in the fund, for 10 years and it would grow also…Is this factual, for me yes, for all, no….I like to see what the capital/growth would be, if left my capital in the fund for 10 years, today, but in reality, in my eyes, if you do not sell at the low, once a year, and buy at high, once a year, you could find yourself with a lower and lower rate of return, for your original investment, because of a war, a different president, or whatever..Make sense? Or nose bleed?

      Another idea is, that 63% which was reported, for the Equity example, could of been, 186% in 2011, at the same time of year, but dropped in 2015 to an average of 63%, for 5 years, so that is not compounding, that is like stocks or UITF’s, going up or down…That is just simple growth…This is why most investors prefer stocks, so they can get the dividends each quarter, or year, as an incentive to NOT sell their of stocks, and disrupt the value of the companies stock…You do not get this legal bribe, with UITF’s, only with stocks…This is why there is such volatility in UITF graphs, because owners of the UITF’s are buying and selling. sort of like day traders of stocks, but on a 30 day, ladder approach, causing market fluctuation…Example would be, if the minimum buy in is 10K, I would buy 10K each week, or if I have the funds, 100K each week, but after 30 days, from the first 100K I bought, I can sell it anytime I want, if the marker tanks, and buy back in, after, the second and third 100K, is only 2 weeks old and 3 weeks old, so I am screwed, I have to watch them go down, and wait for them to go back up

      This is why I never look at the percentage of growth, since inception, because it is either too low, or too high..I prefer to compare the 3 year and 5 year yields

      One last point…People are making tons of money in portfolios, because they hired people to do the buying and selling for them and with UITF’s you sort of do the same thing, but they suck at it….Why did they, on the 24th of August of 2015, or at least, the 25th, not see what was going to happen, and sell on the 23rd and 24th? I did, but I did not have enough cash reserve and my wife was busy…They should have sold on the 23rd to 25th, even after the fact, and bought back in on the 26th and 27…I did with what little I had

      Reply
  17. Hi Ms. Fehl, if UITF’s don’t give dividends and MF’s do, then doesn’t that mean that, say, if I start with 10k for each vessel that for example has the same ROI, then the MF will give me higher returns because of the compounded dividends as well as the increasing navps, while the UITF’s value’s increase is only directly proportional to the current navpu vs. capital navpu…?

    Reply
  18. Ano po yung logic behind sa mag invest ka tapos wag mo galawin yung investment till maybe 5yrs, wether bumaba or tumaas yung navps or navpu mo, may kita ka parin? totoo ba yun thanks!

    Reply
      • Anu po mas okay, sabihin natin nag open ako ng UITF sa bank min 10k right, then the NAVPU is 100/unit, meron akong 100 units, then suddenly after a month tumaas to 200/unit so my account value now is 20k, dba mas okay i withdraw ung na gain mo na 10k then iwan ulet ung 10k?

        Reply
  19. Hi! Ms. Fehl

    I’m planning to invest on UITF i have read a lot about it . Is it ok to invest one time my P 100,000.00 to BPI’s High Dividend Fund or any other UITF.? Or will I invest it partially , 10,000 initial then 2000 on a monthly basis. Thanks much..

    Reply
  20. Good morning Ms. Fehl. I’ve been reading for quite some time now about investing and there are some kind of investments that catch my attention like stock market, mutual fund and uitf. I’m planning on investing on mutual fund since I still don’t have the knowledge and the person to guide me on doing the stock market. i just want to ask if it is wise to invest in sunlife equity bond and uitf balanced fund at the same time since i have a savings account in bdo and they offer investment plans in uitf.

    Reply
    • Hi. Arnel. yes, it is wise to have different investments like UITF and Mutual Funds at the same time especially if you’re already stable. If you’re risky and you won’t need your savings/money for a long time (3 years or so) Equity Funds are great. Balanced Funds are also good if you are in between conservative and aggressive

      Reply
  21. Hi po,my tanong po ako,kumuha po kasi ako ng equity index fund sa bpi with 10k initial investment.ask ko po sana kung ok lang po ba na hindi ko xa e redeem agad?at balak ko po xa dagdagan ng 1k-2k every month.ung dinagdag ko po ba ay kailangan ba na makabuo ako ng 10k ulit,para dun e base ang NAVPS for the day na may 10k ulit ako?or ung 1k-2k na deposit ko every month ay madagdag lang sa initial investment ko?thank you po.hoping for your reply po.

    Reply
    • Yes, you can redeem at the day you want. If you want to make additional placement, depende yan sa UITF or Mutual Fund, yung iba kasi pwedi na online. Every new placement are based on the new NAVPS/NAVPU

      Reply
  22. Hi ms. Fehl! Im ur follower working as seafarer in cruise ship. I hve stocks in COL and (partly) using ur magic 10 strategy and one of my goal is to put up an ITF for my duaghter tru COL but as of this time wla p ata sila UITF, now my question po is regarding fund managers who hndle this kind of investments. Do we have the right to meet this people in person?

    Ps: me and wife really learn a lot from your site. Dami nyo po natutulungan dahil dito. Godbless!!!

    Reply
    • Hi, Jon. UITF are offered by banks. You can open one at major banks. Fund managers are based at a bank’s head office usually at the Trust Department. If you want to meet some, you go there. 🙂 Thank you very much for the kind words.

      Reply
  23. hello

    ask ko lang ang opinion nyo about balance investment..nbabasa ko kse they tell percentages of stocks,mf and uitf..and other invstmnt intruments to have balance investment..how about yours maam?..thanks

    Reply
  24. Hi I am an OFW. Which is one is better BDO or BPI? in terms of platform… sorry for the newbie question.

    e.g.
    – easy participation and redemption
    – transfer of funds from savings account to investment account through online
    – hassle free (just go to the bank during account opening, then everything online)

    Reply
  25. Hi Ms. Fehl,

    Thank you for the information you share in your website. I just got interested in investing my money recently. I am a nurse OFW sa middle east. And honestly, I just started reading and browsing today. Medyo naiintindihan ko na siya kahit papaano; about investing in stocks through online and live brokers, and itong UITF and MF. However, forgive me for asking this. Kapag ako ba me broker na like BPI, can I use this brokers to buy UITFs and MFs ?or totally ibang platform and stock buying thru a broker and investing in UITFs and MFs. Senxa na, if my question sounds stupid. I will do my assignment and read on. Nagmamadali lang kasi ako to make a decision because I will going back to the middle east and I may not have a chance even to start. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Hi Jepoy. You only need stockbroker if you want to invest on stocks directly in the PSE. You don’t need a broker sa UITF and MF as of this writing.

      Reply
  26. Good morning Ms. Fehl,

    I-confirm ko lang po. In UITF, it is not allowed to add money or capital on initial investment, wherein you need to redeem all and reinvest with your desired capital amount. In MF, it is allowed to add money with no limitations and restrictions even without redemption.

    So mas ok pala ang MF compare sa UITF. Kasi pag nakikita mong gumaganda ang market or NAVPS, pwede mo dagdagan ang pera mo as capital investment.

    Tama ba? Salamat po.

    Reply
    • Hi, actually you can also add up funds in your UITF regularly just like on MF. Some banks have UITF products like that like BDO EIP (Easy Investment Plan) and PNB AIP (Auto Invest Plan). We have reviews about those products here in Philpad too.

      Reply
      • Wala po akong online, savings or kahit na anong account sa BDO. My SDF is one time investment. Kung gusto kong dagdagan ang initial kong 10k for example, need ko iredeem DAW lahat then open another SDF with 20k initial capital. Sa MF daw po pwede? minimum of 5k, then pwede kahit tag isang libong dagdag anytime kung sa tingin mo ay maganda at tataas pa ang NAVPS. Comments mo po. Salamat again.

        Reply
  27. hi! thanks for your posts. It gave me insights. I am 29 and an ofw and am thinking of putting some of my earnnings in investments. A couple years ago, i went to BDO to inquire about their EIP. The teller said, its too risky and so she refered me to a Financial Advisor selling an Insurance Policy. I really like to invest so I continued my readings And research to learn more about it and do some soul-searching with regards to my own risk tolerance. I would like to ask if is being an OFW matters in their background check as an investor? You know, im thinking maybe because we are working outside of the country. I am planning to have my vacation this April and will definitely pursue my goal to invest and earn in the long-term. 🙂

    Reply
    • Hi. The usual problem when opening an investment is when the investor is not ware of the risks involved. If you have the funds, the goal, financial stability, and you know the risks, you’re good to open some investments. If they are hesitant to let you open investments, tell them you’re aware of the risks. Some funds are not available for non-residents so you must ask the banker about the products that you can invest with. God bless 🙂

      Reply
  28. Gud day ms fehl,
    I wud just lyk to ask if it is required to add up money on a monthly basis for uitf accounts? If yes den how much is the minimum..thanks

    Reply
  29. Miss Fehl,

    Kaylangan mo na tlga gumawa ng libro from basics to advanced. I need straight to the point answers na tlga regarding which investment piliin ko, pano at ano ang mga kaylangan ko malaman. confused na tlga kasi masyado. I earn 15k/month and have p100k+ as stagnant savings. I need to invest this money at most p50k in a way na mag generate siya income and I have plans to withdraw the earnings after 5 years. ano po ma suggest nyo Miss Fehl. Need advice talaga. If ok sa iyo pls reply po sa email para makita ko agad. Hoping for a favorable response po. Thank you. been reading your blogs since last night.

    Reply
    • Hi! It depends upon you as an investor. If you are aggressive and can take risks, invest your funds on Equity Fund or invest them directly in the stock market. In experience, I find the latter more profitable 🙂 If you’re a newbie, investing them on Equity Funds from Mutual Fund like Sun Life and Philequity would be great.

      Reply
  30. Hi Ms. Fehl,
    I’m planning to invest 100K in BDO Equity Fund and leave it there for 10 years so that I can build a business using the money I will earn if ever, but I’m anxious about the possible loss I may incur, how much do you think I can possibly lose with that investment?

    Reply
    • I suggest you add up funds every month to that 100K so that you will earn more profit instead of investing a single placement of 100K at once 🙂

      Reply
  31. I can see that some banks now offer mutual funds. You said in your post that most Mutual Funds are offered by MF companies, which are fewer than banks and thus a disadvantage to MF. Is applying in MF companies significantly better than applying in banks that offer MFs?
    Thanks! Btw, really helpful article.

    Reply
    • Some Mutual Fund companies partner with banks for convenience. Doesn’t mean the banks own the Mutual Funds products. MF companies put MF representatives to some banks and financial hubs. Marketing strategy 🙂

      Reply
  32. Hi Ms. Fehl,

    Follow up question. Security Bank is doing great in UITF and they have lower NAVPU compared to BDO and BPI. But BDO and BPI are more established than SB. Should I still invest in SB? Or BDO, BPI and PNB are much safer and better than SB in terms of equity? Thanks a lot.

    Reply
    • Lower NAVPU doesn’t mean higher return. It’s more likely they have started few months/years ago than the ones with higher NAVPU. It doesn’t mean lower return either. The performance of the UITF is the basis at the end of the day 🙂 Nothing is safer coz they’re all investments and they are all aggressive. If I”m investing only now, I would choose SB. But I had already existing UITF and that’s ok to maintain them than kill them and transfer. 🙂 Will review about SB soon 🙂

      Reply
  33. Hi Ms. Fehl,

    I am a fan of your blog. I have few questions regarding mutual funds. What does it mean to me if Mutual funds can give me dividends and rights? How can I benefit from those in layman’s terms? I am confused between Mutual Funds and UITF since UITFs don’t charge you anything especially in top ups. Thank you for your future response.

    Reply
    • Hi Ava 🙂 You will earn dividends only when the Mutual Fund company issued them. Dividends are not big money usually. UITF and MF are almost the same if you notice and when you check their fund fact sheet. The allocation of investment, strategy and management are what differ. Choose either MF or UITF in Equity if you’re investing for long term.

      Reply
  34. hello madam, gusto ko lang pong itanong kung paano mag apply ng uitf sa bdo kahit andito ako sa malayo.pwede q po bang magamit ang account q sa bdo?

    Reply
  35. May uitf po ako sa bdo since dec 2012. ok lang po ba na hindi ko icheck yung navpu nya everyday? As in once ko palang kasi na check yun. Balak ko kunin ang pera after 3yrs. Or stay ko lang sya? Pls give advise. Salamat po.

    Reply
  36. UITF vs. MF? (Almost all of the features have been mentioned except for this one):

    UITF – fixed amount of subscription per month (ex. P1,000/ 15th & 30th of the month);
    MF – minimum of P1,000/month or higher (ex. i subscribe more than P1k if I have extra money or if, the
    market is quite down- for me to be able to buy more shares).

    Hope this one will help a prospective investor…:)

    Reply
    • I was looking for some guides on how to start saving money…I dont quite remember how I ended to this blog…but its really good,easy to understand..im amazed an ofw like me can afford to invest…so thank you.its never late to invest isn’t it?any suggestions where to start? Thanks much.

      Reply
  37. Hi! I am investing MF in Petron Corp. Then I want to sell my share, but Petron Corp answered me once in my email while giving some requirements, such as current address, bank accounts, and Petron Corp standard forms for my personal information. Thence nothing happened. Please help my problem. God Bless…

    Jose

    Reply
    • Mr. Jose…Maybe they gave you a generic reply, because it is my experience, you do not invest in a company, WITH THE COMPANY and I have also learned, Philippine government agencies and companies even though they have an email address, will normally not reply or send generic replies…You are blessed to have received one reply…Read the paperwork they sent you, carefully and see if they suggested a broker, or list of brokers..I did not see a reply from Miss Fehl, so ask her again, this way…Miss Fehl, I wish invest in Petron, are you allowed to suggest 2 or 3 good brokers to help me….I feel Petron is a good investment, but watch the market rends, this is all I know..I know nothing about stocks

      Reply
  38. hi fel as i read your blog, it really inspired me to invest both MF and UTIF
    i was just wondering which is best you can recommend.

    Reply
    • I hope you got your answer, but if not, here it is…SHORT ANSWER IS: It is up to you…Only you can answer this…I am very very biased for UITF’s, I think Miss Fehl prefers the stock market..Once an investor become a lover of a type of investment, it is hard to break him, or her…LONG Personally, I feel UITF’s are a good place to start and ride the ebbs and tides, going to and fro, until you can see how easily you get sea sick form the volatility of the market…I would suggest 40% in an Equity Fund, and 60% in a Balance Fund, for upper risk tolerance, of 40 60 Equity and Bonds, if your knees are weak, or even 33% in equity bonds and money market funds…MISS FEHL will check my work, hops this helped

      Reply
      • I suppose you are NEWBIE, it is better to invest in UITF Equity Fund coz it is similar in investing in stock market & “PAC” in a sense that you subscribed regularly. The good thing with UITF is that your money is invested in at least 10 Top Equities while in stocks your money could only buy 1,2 or 3 stocks portfolio. There is a saying “Do not put all your eggs in one basket.” Ex. I have 8 stocks in COL but only 3 stocks is in a green code while the remaining 5 is in red code or negative price appreciation (in total around -9%) while my BDO UITF gain 12-13%. for the same period. BUT, if you insist in investing in stock market you must follow investment guide or faithfully apply SAM of Bo Sanchez…(my 3 green stocks is in line with Bo’s recommendation while the other 5 is thru patronage/personal preference.)
        Happy Investing!

        Reply
        • UITF in Equity is not purely similar to direct stock market investing since you have fund managers in UITF while on PSE, you’re in control. Your UITF Equity Fund investments are not purely invested on stocks, they are also involved on mix money instruments. 90% usually on equities and 10% mixed money instruments

          Reply
        • I know this is an old post, but I disagree…For new investors, that fund is a nasty fund, it will drive you crazy, unless you invest a large amount, like over 500K and you leave it there for 5 to 10 years…Most new investors, are like swimmers, they get in and out of the water, depending on how cold the water is, or the outside air temperature, so if it is okay with Miss Fehl, may I suggest a 25% balanced fund, 50% Mutual UITF fund, and 25% in bonds, or government securities, and watch them go up and down and then make adjustments as you feel the need, PERSONALLY…if YOU ARE UNDER 50, ride that for 5 years, then sell what you have, high and buy low in equity funds, then leave them there, don’t touch them, or buy more and more each year, called ladder investing, in equity funds…Miss Fehl? Okay?

          Reply
  39. I’m planning to have UITF and mutual fund both having equity and balance fund then redeem it after 10years or more. For me not to feel burden with these,Im planning to invest 20,000 per year for each fund until I reach 100,000 investment for each account then I will just wait 10years before I redeem them. Is it ok or not?

    Reply
    • I think it’s a smart strategy in my opinion because one account is aggressive while the other has moderate risk. I personally use similar move on my Equity Fund however different amount and I plan to not stop funding until 10 years and redeem them all. 🙂 That would be before my 40s. 🙂

      Reply
      • Thank you very much for your reply 🙂 A very big help for a beginner like me.May I ask how much total funding per you would you recommend for an UITF Equity and balanced?Also,which of these funds is better to have higher funding? Is it better to have UITF Equity and balanced using EIP than funding them once a year? Also,using EIP can I fund each fund 2,000 or more per month? Can I exceed 10,000 using EIP for each fund?

        Reply
        • @rosario

          FOR ANYONE READING THIS POST LAST YEAR, HERE IS MY TWIST

          #1. May I ask how much total funding per you would you recommend for an UITF Equity and balanced?

          1A. Each is a 10K minimum buy in..Since, you not buy units, or shares, you contribute…This is why MF are so much alike, so the short answer is, 10K each, to own, each Fund

          1B. I learned the hard way and that is I bought 500K of a fund, and when I wanted to sell, I had to sell the full amount, so I lost a lot of money…I only wanted to sell, around 125K to buy another fund, at a super low price, while I could

          2A. I have no choice, and a habit, or a uneducated formula, you need to invest 60/40, give or take, meaning, 60% of the cash you have, is for investing 40% for a cash, savings, slush, savings account, for emergencies, or to buy a fund, at a super low prices, and have the ability to pay yourself back

          EXAMPLE IS:

          You have, around, 15K you can invest 10K (YOU HAVE NO CHOICE 10 MINIMUM) and save, or hold back, the remaining 5K…Which fund, is up to you, because they basically, do the same thing, as far and crash and climb, sideways, or stale, up or down, same animal, because they are both an equity, although some banks classify the Balance Fund as a bond fund, since it does have a lot of bond investment, hence the name FUND

          ASKING ME: I would buy the Equity, but that is not sound mind, best to buy the balance fund, just in-case

          If you are thinking, well, if it is a 10K buy in, can I buy, 11K 13K or all 15K

          Yes, of course, it is a free country, but both Miss Fehl, I am sure would kill me if I told you to drop the full amount with no cash reserve, and she should scream…I am sure she still holds true to the 60/40, when in doubt and since you asked the Blog, you are in doubt..Also, holding the 5K you will see why, later here

          #3. Which of these funds is better to have higher funding?

          If you mean, which to buy more of, since you need, 10K each, it depends on what you have to spend

          Also, hide behind the 60/40, 60% balance fund and 40% full blown equity but this is 60/40 of the 60% of the 40 you set aside, meaning, you have 100K 60% invest 40% cash reserve, so you would slit the 60% into a 60/40 split

          I know,brain freeze, sorry

          Common sense says, some safety must be shown here, so 60% balance fund 40% Equity, even if you have millions to spend…I have to tell you that

          #4. Is it better to have UITF Equity and balanced using EIP than funding them once a year? Also,using EIP can I fund each fund 2,000 or more per month? Can I exceed 10,000 using EIP for each fund?

          The answer is yes, you can, but ask Miss Fehl, but you can buy more than 10K but again, 60/40%

          This is why you want to hold the 5K, as I said above, because you might only have 2K a month and unlike stocks, you need 10K to buy more, so now, you have the 5K plus the 2K each month, that gives you 7K

          Once you reach, 10K, buy 10K but if you save up 12K you need to hold back the 2K sorry, don’t buy 12K buy 10K always have cash on hand

          Miss Fehl, this is old, but typical questions, how do you agree, or disagree to this? How did I do?

          Reply

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