FRNKX vs MBAAX Fund Comparison

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

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Minafi's Take on FRNKX vs MBAAX

Here's an in depth look at the differences between Frank Value Fund Investor Class($FRNKX) and Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Global Strategist Portfolio Class A($MBAAX).

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.

  • frnkx
  • Mutual Fund
  • US Stocks
  • Mid-Cap Blend

Frank Value Fund Investor Class

Expenses: 1.49% (Better than 0% of similar funds)

This is a bad choice for a Mid-Cap Blend US Stocks fund. See why »

  • mbaax
  • Mutual Fund
  • Allocation
  • Total World

Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Global Strategist Portfolio Class A

Expenses: 1.03% (Better than 1% of similar funds)

This is a bad choice for a Total World Allocation fund. See why »

Both $FRNKX and $MBAAX are categorized as Mutual Funds. Mutual funds are often offered by 401(k) platforms and are essentially the same as ETFs. Mutual funds are generally offered by an investment platform – Fidelity has Fidelity mutual funds, Vanguard has Vanguard mutual funds. Mutual funds are ideal for retirement investing since you can invest any amount. That allows you to invest every last cent and benefit from the market.

The biggest disadvantage of mutual funds is that you're usually limited to the funds on your investment platform. If you're investing on Fidelity, you'll want to pick Fidelity mutual funds (or any ETF). Same with Vanguard. Some platforms offer mutual funds from other platforms, but they may charge a purchse or redemption fee. I'd recommend using the same platform as your funds – or stick to ETFs.

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.

FRNKXMBAAX
Market Score 0.6 /10 6.1 /10
Category Score 5.0 /10 5.0 /10
Total5.611.1

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.

Winner: $MBAAX

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, FRNKX has an expense ratio of 1.49% while MBAAX has an expense ratio of 1.03%.

Winner: $MBAAX

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, FRNKX is a small fund with 11.7 Million in assets under management. MBAAX, on the other hand, is a medium fund with 378 Million in assets under management.

Winner: $MBAAX, Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Global Strategist Portfolio Class A

Which Should You Choose? FRNKX or MBAAX?

Comparing these two funds isn't an apples to apples comparison. FRNKX is a US StocksMid-Cap Blend fund, while MBAAX is a AllocationTotal World 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 FRNKX a score of 12 and MBAAX a score of 43.

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

$FRNKX

Frank Value Fund Investor Class

12

Read More
Ratings
Rating TypeRating
Expense Ratio Score2/10
Expense Rating0/10
Market Score1/10
Category Score5/10
Overview
OverviewDetails
Fund TypeMutual Fund
Inception DateJul-21-2004
ExchangeNMFQS
Expense Ratio1.490%
Net Assets11.7 Million
Yield0.22%
Holdings
DescriptionInfo
MarketUS Stocks
CategoryMid-Cap Blend
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 29.66%
  • Communication Services 19.92%
  • Consumer Cyclical 6.80%
  • Consumer Defensive 0.00%
  • Energy 0.00%
  • Financial Services 17.66%
  • Healthcare 25.96%
  • Industrials 0.00%
  • Real Estate 0.00%
  • Technology 0.00%
  • Utilities 0.00%
Regions
  • North America 100.00%

$MBAAX

Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust Global Strategist Portfolio Class A

43

Read More
Ratings
Rating TypeRating
Expense Ratio Score6/10
Expense Rating0/10
Market Score6/10
Category Score5/10
Overview
OverviewDetails
Fund TypeMutual Fund
Inception DateDec-31-1992
ExchangeNMFQS
Expense Ratio1.030%
Net Assets378 Million
Yield0.00%
Holdings
DescriptionInfo
MarketAllocation
CategoryTotal World
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 3.91%
  • Communication Services 8.84%
  • Consumer Cyclical 9.71%
  • Consumer Defensive 9.00%
  • Energy 3.35%
  • Financial Services 14.84%
  • Healthcare 14.40%
  • Industrials 10.37%
  • Real Estate 4.68%
  • Technology 17.25%
  • Utilities 3.63%
Regions
  • Africa/Middle East 0.01%
  • Asia Developed 1.09%
  • Asia Emerging 0.13%
  • Australasia 1.66%
  • Europe Developed 13.90%
  • Europe Emerging 0.01%
  • Japan 1.79%
  • Latin America 0.07%
  • North America 76.36%
  • United Kingdom 4.99%

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