ICLN vs MCN Fund Comparison

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

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Minafi's Take on ICLN vs MCN

Here's an in depth look at the differences between iShares Global Clean Energy ETF($ICLN) and Madison Covered Call and Equity Strategy Fund($MCN).

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.

  • icln
  • ETF
  • Allocation
  • Other

iShares Global Clean Energy ETF

Expenses: 0.46% (Better than 1% of similar funds)

This is an OK choice for a Other Allocation fund. See why »

  • mcn
  • Mutual Fund
  • Other
  • Options-based

Madison Covered Call and Equity Strategy Fund

Expenses: 1.07% (Better than 1% of similar funds)

This is an OK choice for a Options-based Other fund. See why »

$ICLN is classified as an ETF while $MCN is classified as a Mutual Fund. Even though one of these is a mutual fund and the other is an ETF, that doesn't matter too much for their holdings. Both ETFs and mutual funds are just containers to hold lots of investments inside of them.

The biggest differences between these two is where they may be offered. ETFs are more widely availble from a larger number of investment apps and websites. Mutual funds, on the other hand, are generally offered by the platform they're issued by (Fidelity funds on Fidelity, Vanguard funds on Vanguard). Usually 401(k)'s will offer both ETFs and Mutual Funds. If you're investing outside of a 401(k), I'd recommend you verify the fees associated with ETF and mutual fund transactions. Some platforms charge an additional fee to purchase a mutual fund.

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.

ICLNMCN
Market Score 7.8 /10 10.0 /10
Category Score 0.0 /10 0.0 /10
Total7.810.0

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: $MCN

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, ICLN has an expense ratio of 0.46% while MCN has an expense ratio of 1.07%.

Winner: $ICLN

Fund Size Comparison

Both ICLN and MCN have a similar number of assets under management. ICLN has 643 Million in assets under management, while MCN has .

Minafi categorizes both of these funds as large 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? ICLN or MCN?

Comparing these two funds isn't an apples to apples comparison. ICLN is a AllocationOther fund, while MCN is a OtherOptions-based 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 ICLN a score of 66 and MCN a score of 50.

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

$ICLN

iShares Global Clean Energy ETF

66

Read More
Ratings
Rating TypeRating
Diversification Score0/10
Expense Ratio Score10/10
Expense Rating5/10
Market Score8/10
Category Score0/10
Overview
OverviewDetails
Fund TypeETF
Inception DateJun-24-2008
ExchangeNASDAQ
Expense Ratio0.460%
Net Assets643 Million
Yield1.34%
Holdings
DescriptionInfo
MarketAllocation
CategoryOther
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 0.00%
  • Communication Services 0.00%
  • Consumer Cyclicals 0.00%
  • Consumer Defensive 0.00%
  • Energy 2.56%
  • Financial Services 0.00%
  • Healthcare 0.00%
  • Industrials 13.84%
  • Real Estate 0.00%
  • Technology 29.94%
  • Utilities 53.67%
Regions
  • Africa/Middle East 1.76%
  • Asia Emerging 9.39%
  • Australasia 9.04%
  • Europe Developed 24.95%
  • Latin America 7.92%
  • North America 43.17%
  • United Kingdom 3.77%

$MCN

Madison Covered Call and Equity Strategy Fund

50

Read More
Ratings
Rating TypeRating
Expense Ratio Score5/10
Expense Rating0/10
Market Score10/10
Category Score0/10
Overview
OverviewDetails
Fund TypeMutual Fund
Inception DateJul-28-2004
ExchangeNYSE
Expense Ratio1.070%
Net Assets
Yield0.00%
Holdings
DescriptionInfo
MarketOther
CategoryOptions-based
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 16.61%
  • Communication Services 9.31%
  • Consumer Cyclical 6.49%
  • Consumer Defensive 10.60%
  • Energy 10.15%
  • Financial Services 12.29%
  • Healthcare 15.49%
  • Industrials 6.41%
  • Real Estate 0.13%
  • Technology 9.64%
  • Utilities 2.87%
Regions
  • Africa/Middle East 0.34%
  • Asia Emerging 0.05%
  • Australasia 0.51%
  • Europe Developed 0.02%
  • Europe Emerging 0.02%
  • Latin America 0.03%
  • North America 98.97%
  • United Kingdom 0.04%

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