IGSB vs SKSEX Fund Comparison

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

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Minafi's Take on IGSB vs SKSEX

Here's an in depth look at the differences between iShares Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF ($IGSB) and AMG Managers Skyline Special Equities Fund Class N ($SKSEX).

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.

84% FI Score
  • igsb
  • ETF
  • Bond
  • High Yield Bond

iShares Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF

Expenses: 0.06% (Better than 1% of similar funds)

This is an OK choice for a High Yield Bond Bond fund. See why »

39% FI Score
  • sksex
  • Mutual Fund
  • US Stocks
  • Small Blend

AMG Managers Skyline Special Equities Fund Class N

Expenses: 1.17% (Better than 0% of similar funds)

This is a bad choice for a Small Blend US Stocks fund. See why »

$IGSB is classified as an ETF while $SKSEX 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.

IGSB SKSEX
Market Score 9.8 /10 5.7 /10
Category Score 0.0 /10 5.0 /10
Total 9.8 10.7

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.

Winner: $SKSEX

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, IGSB has an expense ratio of 0.06% while SKSEX has an expense ratio of 1.17%.

Winner: $IGSB

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, IGSB is a large fund with 16.7 Billion in assets under management. SKSEX, on the other hand, is a medium fund with 316 Million in assets under management.

Winner: $IGSB, iShares Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF

Which Should You Choose? IGSB or SKSEX?

Comparing these two funds isn't an apples to apples comparison. IGSB is a Bond High Yield Bond fund, while SKSEX is a US Stocks Small Blend 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 IGSB a score of 84 and SKSEX a score of 39.

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

$IGSB

iShares Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF

84

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Ratings
Rating Type Rating
Expense Ratio Score 10 /10
Expense Rating 9 /10
Market Score 10 /10
Category Score 0 /10
Overview
Overview Details
Fund Type ETF
Exchange NASDAQ
Expense Ratio 0.060%
Net Assets 16.7 Billion
Yield 2.96%
Holdings
Description Info
Market Bond
Category High Yield Bond
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 0.00%
  • Communication Services 0.00%
  • Consumer Cyclicals 0.00%
  • Consumer Defensive 0.00%
  • Energy 0.00%
  • Financial Services 0.00%
  • Healthcare 0.00%
  • Industrials 0.00%
  • Real Estate 0.00%
  • Technology 0.00%
  • Utilities 0.00%

$SKSEX

AMG Managers Skyline Special Equities Fund Class N

39

Read More
Ratings
Rating Type Rating
Expense Ratio Score 5 /10
Expense Rating 0 /10
Market Score 6 /10
Category Score 5 /10
Overview
Overview Details
Fund Type Mutual Fund
Inception Date Apr-23-1987
Exchange NMFQS
Expense Ratio 1.170%
Net Assets 316 Million
Yield 0.30%
Holdings
Description Info
Market US Stocks
Category Small Blend
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 8.85%
  • Communication Services 0.00%
  • Consumer Cyclical 11.26%
  • Consumer Defensive 0.00%
  • Energy 0.00%
  • Financial Services 25.14%
  • Healthcare 5.52%
  • Industrials 32.55%
  • Real Estate 0.00%
  • Technology 16.68%
  • Utilities 0.00%
Regions
  • Asia Emerging 2.25%
  • Europe Developed 1.36%
  • North America 96.39%

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