DSI vs FFR Fund Comparison

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

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Minafi's Take on DSI vs FFR

Here's an in depth look at the differences between iShares MSCI KLD 400 Social ETF ($DSI) and First Trust FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Markets Real Estate Index Fund ($FFR).

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.

74% FI Score
  • dsi
  • ETF
  • US Stocks
  • Large Blend

iShares MSCI KLD 400 Social ETF

Expenses: 0.25% (Better than 1% of similar funds)

This is an OK choice for a Large Blend US Stocks fund. See why »

48% FI Score
  • ffr
  • ETF
  • Sector Equity
  • Real Estate

First Trust FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Markets Real Estate Index Fund

Expenses: 0.60% (Better than 1% of similar funds)

This is a bad choice for a Real Estate Sector Equity fund. See why »

Both $DSI and $FFR 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

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.

DSI FFR
Market Score 6.9 /10 1.7 /10
Category Score 10.0 /10 0.0 /10
Total 16.9 1.7

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 DSI is 6.0/10, while FFR has a diversification score of 9.5/10.

In other words, FFR more closely matches it's benchmark.

Winner: $DSI

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, DSI has an expense ratio of 0.25% while FFR has an expense ratio of 0.60%. In this case, both of these funds have a similar fee.

Winner: $DSI (barely)

Fund Size Comparison

One place these two funds differ is in their total assets under management. This 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.

In the case of these two funds, DSI is a medium fund with 1.9 Billion in assets under management. FFR, on the other hand, is a small fund with 38.9 Million in assets under management.

Winner: $DSI, iShares MSCI KLD 400 Social ETF

Which Should You Choose? DSI or FFR?

Comparing these two funds isn't an apples to apples comparison. DSI is a US Stocks Large Blend fund, while FFR is a Sector Equity Real Estate fund.

If you're aiming to build a diversified, low-fee, tax-optimized portfolio you likely won't be choosing between these two funds since they're different enough.

Running both of these funds through Minafi's FI Score algorithm, gives DSI a score of 74 and FFR a score of 48.

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

$DSI

iShares MSCI KLD 400 Social ETF

74

Read More
Ratings
Rating Type Rating
Diversification Score 6 /10
Expense Ratio Score 8 /10
Expense Rating 8 /10
Market Score 7 /10
Category Score 10 /10
Overview
Overview Details
Fund Type ETF
Inception Date Nov-14-2006
Exchange NYSE ARCA
Expense Ratio 0.250%
Net Assets 1.9 Billion
Yield 1.53%
Holdings
Description Info
Market US Stocks
Category Large Blend
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 2.67%
  • Communication Services 13.68%
  • Consumer Cyclicals 9.11%
  • Consumer Defensive 8.09%
  • Energy 1.90%
  • Financial Services 13.53%
  • Healthcare 11.04%
  • Industrials 8.40%
  • Real Estate 3.52%
  • Technology 26.05%
  • Utilities 2.01%
Regions
  • Asia Developed 0.04%
  • Europe Developed 0.52%
  • Europe Emerging 0.02%
  • North America 98.28%
  • United Kingdom 1.14%

$FFR

First Trust FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Markets Real Estate Index Fund

48

Read More
Ratings
Rating Type Rating
Diversification Score 9 /10
Expense Ratio Score 8 /10
Expense Rating 4 /10
Market Score 2 /10
Category Score 0 /10
Overview
Overview Details
Fund Type ETF
Inception Date Aug-27-2007
Exchange NYSE ARCA
Expense Ratio 0.600%
Net Assets 38.9 Million
Yield 5.93%
Holdings
Description Info
Market Sector Equity
Category Real Estate
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 0.00%
  • Communication Services 0.00%
  • Consumer Cyclicals 0.08%
  • Consumer Defensive 0.00%
  • Energy 0.00%
  • Financial Services 0.00%
  • Healthcare 0.00%
  • Industrials 0.00%
  • Real Estate 99.92%
  • Technology 0.00%
  • Utilities 0.00%
Regions
  • Africa/Middle East 0.19%
  • Asia Developed 9.66%
  • Australasia 3.60%
  • Europe Developed 13.47%
  • Japan 11.89%
  • North America 57.38%
  • United Kingdom 3.82%

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