Office of the Investor Advocate Releases Research Study on Fund Performance Benchmarks

Researchers from the SEC’s Office of the Investor Advocate (OIAD) released an independent research study examining the impact of mutual fund performance benchmarks on investor decision-making, and potential strategic behavior by firms in displaying benchmarks. This study examines market data and the results of a large behavioral experiment to understand how funds employ benchmarks and how investors respond to benchmark presentation. The research study was published on the OIAD website and has been placed in the comment file (No. S7-09-20) for a rulemaking package that would, among other things, modernize open-end fund shareholder reports. The proposal, which was proposed by the Commission in August 2020, features concise and visually engaging shareholder reports that would highlight information that is particularly important for retail investors to assess and monitor their fund investments.