BRF vs FLN Fund Comparison

A comparison between BRF and FLN based on their expense ratio, growth, holdings and how well they match their benchmark performance.

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Minafi's Take on BRF vs FLN

Here's an in depth look at the differences between VanEck Vectors Brazil Small-Cap ETF ($BRF) and First Trust Latin America AlphaDEX Fund ($FLN).

To start off, here's a look at the basics of each fund. Keep an eye on the FI Score. That's a custom score from 0 to 100 that we generate based on how good this fund is for the casual investor. Most investors only need a handful of total funds in their portfolio. The higher the score, the more likely this is one of those few. Score alone isn't enough! Keep reading on to see how different (or perhaps similar) these two funds are.

37% FI Score
  • brf
  • ETF
  • International Stocks
  • Latin America Stock

VanEck Vectors Brazil Small-Cap ETF

Expenses: 0.63% (Better than 1% of similar funds)

This is a bad choice for a Latin America Stock International Stocks fund. See why »

27% FI Score
  • fln
  • ETF
  • International Stocks
  • Latin America Stock

First Trust Latin America AlphaDEX Fund

Expenses: 0.80% (Better than 0% of similar funds)

This is a bad choice for a Latin America Stock International Stocks fund. See why »

Both $BRF and $FLN are categorized as ETFs. ETFs have an added bonus over mutual funds of being more widely available. Mutual funds are often limited to only the issuing investment brokerage. Since these are both ETFs, you may be able to find these at a wider number of investment apps and websites.

The biggest disadvantage of ETFs is that some platforms only allow you to purchase ETFs in whole shares. So if an ETF is going for $75, you may need to invest in increments of $75. Most 401(k)'s allow for investing down to the penny, but you'll want to verify your platform allows for "fractional ETF Shares".

To learn more about the difference between these two, you can read about the difference between ETFs and Mutual Funds.

When evaluating a fund, the first things I look at are:

  • What it invests in
  • How much it charges in fees
  • How large the fund is

Let's look into these criteria one by one and see if either of these funds stands out.

Fund Holdings Comparison

Both of these funds are International Stocks Latin America Stock funds – which means they're likely both investing in about the same investments behind the scenes.

Minafi's FI Score algorithm takes into account the category and market. The more niche a fund is, the lower the score. This doesn't mean it's a worse fund, but it does mean you should stop and make sure this a fund you need to diversify your portfolio.

BRF FLN
Market Score 1.9 /10 1.3 /10
Category Score 5.0 /10 5.0 /10
Total 6.9 6.3

A score of 10 means this is a solid market and category that almost every investor will want to have investments in. The lower the score, the more specific the investment. These scores are based on when most investors would add these funds to their portfolio. A score of 10 means that this fund (or one like it) belongs in a three-fund portfolio. The lower the score, the farther down in your portfolio a fund would go.

For each fund we've created a "diversification score" – a metric to indicate how closely each funds asset allocation matches it's benchmark. For example, an S&P 500 fund would have a diversification score of 10 if it's fully in line with the actual S&P 500.

The diversification score for BRF is 0.0/10, while FLN has a diversification score of 0.0/10.

Winner: $BRF

Fee Comparison

Fees are one of the biggest killers of portfolio growth. The difference between a 2% fee and a 0.04% fee over 30 years can result in your portfolio having half the total value!

If you're just getting started investing and learning how fees impact your portfolio, I'd encourage you to read through my free investment course (specifically '2.2 - All About Fees') where I go over all the different types of fees you can be charged and how to lower them.

For these two funds, BRF has an expense ratio of 0.63% while FLN has an expense ratio of 0.80%.

Winner: $BRF

Fund Size Comparison

Both BRF and FLN have a similar number of assets under management. BRF has 45.7 Million in assets under management, while FLN has 9.94 Million.

Minafi categorizes both of these funds as small funds. Fund size is a good indication of how many other investors trust this fund. A large fund by itself doesn't mean it's a good fund, but it is one thing to consider when figuring out how to choose the right fund.

Winner: tie

Which Should You Choose? BRF or FLN?

Since both of these funds are International Stocks Latin America Stock funds, you'll most likely only need to invest in one of these funds – not both. Running both of these funds through Minafi's FI Score algorithm, gives BRF a score of 37 and FLN a score of 27.

Since both of these have a similar FI Score, the difference between these two if minimal. A higher FI Score doesn't mean future growth will be higher, but it does mean that it better fits criteria for a good fund. Neither of these funds has an FI Score above 90 – which is a red flag. I'd look into more funds to find one with a higher FI Score.

Winner: Neither, I'd research more funds if you're looking to invest for retirement.

$BRF

VanEck Vectors Brazil Small-Cap ETF

37

Read More
Ratings
Rating Type Rating
Diversification Score 0 /10
Expense Ratio Score 6 /10
Expense Rating 4 /10
Market Score 2 /10
Category Score 5 /10
Overview
Overview Details
Fund Type ETF
Inception Date Mar-12-2018
Exchange NYSE ARCA
Expense Ratio 0.630%
Net Assets 45.7 Million
Yield 4.58%
Holdings
Description Info
Market International Stocks
Category Latin America Stock
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 6.87%
  • Communication Services 1.85%
  • Consumer Cyclicals 17.50%
  • Consumer Defensive 12.41%
  • Energy 2.33%
  • Financial Services 2.39%
  • Healthcare 8.22%
  • Industrials 13.28%
  • Real Estate 11.58%
  • Technology 3.42%
  • Utilities 20.15%
Regions
  • Africa/Middle East 0.60%
  • Europe Developed 2.92%
  • Japan 0.79%
  • Latin America 93.56%
  • North America 2.13%

$FLN

First Trust Latin America AlphaDEX Fund

27

Read More
Ratings
Rating Type Rating
Diversification Score 0 /10
Expense Ratio Score 5 /10
Expense Rating 2 /10
Market Score 1 /10
Category Score 5 /10
Overview
Overview Details
Fund Type ETF
Inception Date Apr-18-2011
Exchange NASDAQ
Expense Ratio 0.800%
Net Assets 9.94 Million
Yield 3.17%
Holdings
Description Info
Market International Stocks
Category Latin America Stock
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 15.88%
  • Communication Services 7.30%
  • Consumer Cyclicals 10.90%
  • Consumer Defensive 14.02%
  • Energy 6.92%
  • Financial Services 11.01%
  • Healthcare 3.80%
  • Industrials 3.72%
  • Real Estate 3.17%
  • Technology 0.00%
  • Utilities 23.27%
Regions
  • Latin America 100.00%

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