Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

In this Discussion

Here's a statement of the obvious: The opinions expressed here are those of the participants, not those of the Mutual Fund Observer. We cannot vouch for the accuracy or appropriateness of any of it, though we do encourage civility and good humor.

    Support MFO

  • Donate through PayPal

Mod. Alloc. fund not named PRWCX (TRowe Price Cap. Apprec.)

13»

Comments

  • kevindow said:

    @mcmarasco

    "Does anyone know anything about the Voya versions (virtual clones) of PRWCX (ITRAX / ITRIX / ITCSX / ITCTX)? They are open according to M*, but can the average investor purchase them???"

    According to test trades I just made, these clones are not available at WellsTrade, Fidelity, TDAmeritrade, Scottrade and Firstrade. I still think that the most attractive option is to get a friend or acquaintance of yours to gift you a share between taxable accounts at a given brokerage.

    Kevin

    This is a fund designed for tax advantaged accounts. One finds it in individual variable annuities, college 403(b) plans, etc. So the question is: how desperate are you to purchase a PRWCX clone?

    You can purchase the ADV class (ITRAX, 1.24% ER) through a Voya Preferred Advantage VA. The annuity itself adds another 0.60% fee. IMHO, that's too high a total cost - the 0.60% annuity fee is about the same as Schwab's, but you're paying up for the fund (it's tacking on a 0.75% 12b-1 fee).

    On the plus side, the annuity has no withdrawal fees, the min for the whole VA (all investments) is $5K, and the annual maintenance fee is waived with a relatively low $15K balance. Also, the contract is relatively straightfoward - 50 pages plus fund descriptions, which may sound like a lot, but most of this is required to describe a basic annuity; no bells or whistles.)

    Another option is to invest in AZL T. Rowe Price Capital Appreciation. A combined (print) page with all the M* info is here (scroll past the nonexistent analyst report for the rest of the info).

    You can purchase this inside the Allianz Retirement Pro® VA. This is a low cost VA, rated one of the top 10 traditional VAs by Barron's a couple of years ago, along with Vanguard/Monumental Life), Fidelity, TIAA-CREF (see embedded graphic) - Top 50 Annuities, May 27, 2013.

    The VA costs 0.30% (Base Account, not the Income Advantage Account, which is a more restrictive and costly GLWB rider). The Class 2 shares of the PRWCX clone have an ER of 1.05%, for a combined cost of 1.35%, 1/2% below the ING offering, but still not cheap.

    This annuity requires a min of $75K (across all investments), and charges an annual maintenance fee unless the balance is above $100K.

    I don't suggest investing in these clones, but since the question was raised about how the average investor purchases them, there you have it. It is possible that other retail annuities offer these clones, though I am doubtful, because these seem to be proprietary clones offered through proprietary VAs (e.g. Voya clone offered through Voya VA).
  • @mcmarasco,

    Matt, I would have no heartburn holding PRWCX in a taxable account:

    LINK

    Kevin

  • I may not have been sufficiently clear. Many funds offered in VAs are not designed (from a legal perspective) to be offered for sale as securities. Even if they are structured that way, they are rarely offered for sale outside of an insurance policy. The two funds I wrote about are generally not sold outside of insurance policies.

    This has nothing to do with tax efficiency. Though with a tax cost ratio over the past five years of 1.5% and nearly 3% in the past year, I might have second thoughts about keeping this fund in a taxable account. To put those figures in perspective, DBLTX's tax cost ratios over the same periods are 2.3% (five year) and 1.8% (one year) - that's for a pure bond, ordinary income fund.

    The Voya fund prospectus reads: "Shares of the Portfolio are not offered directly to the public. Purchase and sale of shares may be made only by separate accounts of insurance companies serving as investment options under Variable Contracts or by Qualified Plans, custodian accounts, and certain investment advisers and their affiliates, other investment companies, or permitted investors.

    The AZL fund prospectus states likewise: "Shares of each Fund are sold exclusively to certain insurance companies in connection with particular variable annuity contracts and/or variable life insurance policies (each a “Contract” and collectively the “Contracts”) they issue.
  • Thanks msf for your insight and thoughts!!

    Kevindow, I think I get your non-concern of holding PRWCX in a taxable account. I re-checked M* and realized that it's after-tax returns are also NUMBER ONE in the category, for all time-frames. Thanks for your thoughts!!!

    Matt
Sign In or Register to comment.