PGIRX vs SDG Fund Comparison

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

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Minafi's Take on PGIRX vs SDG

Here's an in depth look at the differences between Polen Global Growth Fund Investor Class ($PGIRX) and iShares MSCI Global Impact ETF ($SDG).

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.

35% FI Score
  • pgirx
  • Mutual Fund
  • Allocation
  • Total World

Polen Global Growth Fund Investor Class

Expenses: 1.35% (Better than 0% of similar funds)

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

55% FI Score
  • sdg
  • ETF
  • Allocation
  • Total World

iShares MSCI Global Impact ETF

Expenses: 0.49% (Better than 1% of similar funds)

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

$PGIRX is classified as a Mutual Fund while $SDG is classified as an ETF. 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

Both of these funds are Allocation Total World 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.

PGIRX SDG
Market Score 5.8 /10 3.6 /10
Category Score 5.0 /10 5.0 /10
Total 10.8 8.6

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: $PGIRX

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, PGIRX has an expense ratio of 1.35% while SDG has an expense ratio of 0.49%.

Winner: $SDG

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, PGIRX is a medium fund with 332 Million in assets under management. SDG, on the other hand, is a small fund with 103 Million in assets under management.

Winner: $PGIRX, Polen Global Growth Fund Investor Class

Which Should You Choose? PGIRX or SDG?

Since both of these funds are Allocation Total World 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 PGIRX a score of 35 and SDG a score of 55.

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.

$PGIRX

Polen Global Growth Fund Investor Class

35

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Ratings
Rating Type Rating
Expense Ratio Score 3 /10
Expense Rating 0 /10
Market Score 6 /10
Category Score 5 /10
Overview
Overview Details
Fund Type Mutual Fund
Inception Date Dec-30-2014
Exchange NMFQS
Expense Ratio 1.350%
Net Assets 332 Million
Yield 0.00%
Holdings
Description Info
Market Allocation
Category Total World
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 0.00%
  • Communication Services 16.92%
  • Consumer Cyclical 18.71%
  • Consumer Defensive 4.27%
  • Energy 0.00%
  • Financial Services 11.23%
  • Healthcare 18.71%
  • Industrials 3.09%
  • Real Estate 0.00%
  • Technology 27.08%
  • Utilities 0.00%
Regions
  • Asia Emerging 11.22%
  • Australasia 3.21%
  • Europe Developed 22.17%
  • North America 63.41%

$SDG

iShares MSCI Global Impact ETF

55

Read More
Ratings
Rating Type Rating
Diversification Score 0 /10
Expense Ratio Score 9 /10
Expense Rating 5 /10
Market Score 4 /10
Category Score 5 /10
Overview
Overview Details
Fund Type ETF
Exchange NASDAQ
Expense Ratio 0.490%
Net Assets 103 Million
Yield 1.41%
Holdings
Description Info
Market Allocation
Category Total World
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 6.51%
  • Communication Services 2.64%
  • Consumer Cyclicals 12.38%
  • Consumer Defensive 19.24%
  • Energy 0.00%
  • Financial Services 0.03%
  • Healthcare 18.73%
  • Industrials 24.71%
  • Real Estate 7.39%
  • Technology 3.76%
  • Utilities 4.62%
Regions
  • Africa/Middle East 0.10%
  • Asia Developed 5.39%
  • Asia Emerging 10.22%
  • Australasia 0.85%
  • Europe Developed 24.49%
  • Japan 13.13%
  • Latin America 2.94%
  • North America 32.24%
  • United Kingdom 10.65%

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