VISGX vs YOVLX Fund Comparison

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

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Minafi's Take on VISGX vs YOVLX

Here's an in depth look at the differences between Vanguard Small Capitalization Growth Index Fund Investor Shares ($VISGX) and Yorktown Small-Cap Fund Class L ($YOVLX).

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.

88% FI Score
  • visgx
  • Mutual Fund
  • US Stocks
  • Small Growth

Vanguard Small Capitalization Growth Index Fund Investor Shares

Expenses: 0.19% (Better than 1% of similar funds)

This is an OK choice for a Small Growth US Stocks fund. See why »

10% FI Score
  • yovlx
  • Mutual Fund
  • US Stocks
  • Small Growth

Yorktown Small-Cap Fund Class L

Expenses: 2.15% (Better than 0% of similar funds)

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

Both $VISGX and $YOVLX 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

Both of these funds are US Stocks Small Growth 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.

VISGX YOVLX
Market Score 9.9 /10 0.9 /10
Category Score 5.0 /10 5.0 /10
Total 14.9 5.9

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: $VISGX

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, VISGX has an expense ratio of 0.19% while YOVLX has an expense ratio of 2.15%.

Winner: $VISGX

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, VISGX is a large fund with 24.8 Billion in assets under management. YOVLX, on the other hand, is a small fund with 26 Million in assets under management.

Winner: $VISGX, Vanguard Small Capitalization Growth Index Fund Investor Shares

Which Should You Choose? VISGX or YOVLX?

Since both of these funds are US Stocks Small Growth 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 VISGX a score of 88 and YOVLX a score of 10.

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.

$VISGX

Vanguard Small Capitalization Growth Index Fund Investor Shares

88

Read More
Ratings
Rating Type Rating
Expense Ratio Score 10 /10
Expense Rating 8 /10
Market Score 10 /10
Category Score 5 /10
Overview
Overview Details
Fund Type Mutual Fund
Inception Date May-21-1998
Exchange NMFQS
Expense Ratio 0.190%
Net Assets 24.8 Billion
Yield 0.49%
Holdings
Description Info
Market US Stocks
Category Small Growth
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 2.32%
  • Communication Services 4.67%
  • Consumer Cyclical 9.55%
  • Consumer Defensive 2.90%
  • Energy 1.62%
  • Financial Services 4.30%
  • Healthcare 24.75%
  • Industrials 10.95%
  • Real Estate 8.65%
  • Technology 29.76%
  • Utilities 0.54%
Regions
  • Asia Developed 0.11%
  • Asia Emerging 0.43%
  • North America 99.46%

$YOVLX

Yorktown Small-Cap Fund Class L

10

Read More
Ratings
Rating Type Rating
Expense Ratio Score 0 /10
Expense Rating 0 /10
Market Score 1 /10
Category Score 5 /10
Overview
Overview Details
Fund Type Mutual Fund
Inception Date May-9-2016
Exchange NMFQS
Expense Ratio 2.150%
Net Assets 26 Million
Yield 0.00%
Holdings
Description Info
Market US Stocks
Category Small Growth
Sectors
  • Basic Materials 1.77%
  • Communication Services 6.34%
  • Consumer Cyclical 20.97%
  • Consumer Defensive 0.00%
  • Energy 1.63%
  • Financial Services 13.29%
  • Healthcare 10.74%
  • Industrials 12.20%
  • Real Estate 4.22%
  • Technology 25.31%
  • Utilities 3.54%
Regions
  • Africa/Middle East 5.98%
  • Asia Emerging 2.14%
  • Latin America 2.48%
  • North America 89.40%

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