# Choosing your funds

## What funds are available?

Fynbos offers a curated selection of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and unit trusts from reputable providers including 10X Investments, Satrix, Sygnia, 1nvest, Allan Gray, FNB, and Coronation.

- **ETFs (Exchange-Traded Funds)**: Low-cost funds that track an index, sector, or asset class
- **Unit trusts**: Actively or passively managed funds with specific investment mandates
- **Money market funds**: Lower-risk funds that earn daily interest, used for instant liquidity accounts

The funds available depend on your account type. Tax-Free Savings Accounts, Investment accounts, and Retirement Annuities have access to a wide range of ETFs.

## Fund types by account

Different account types have access to different funds based on their purpose and regulatory requirements.

| Account type | Fund types | Examples |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Emergency Savings** | Money market | Allan Gray Money Market Fund |
| **Savings pots** | Money market | Allan Gray Money Market Fund |
| **Tax-Free Savings** | ETFs | 10x Total World, Satrix MSCI World, Sygnia Itrix S&P 500 |
| **Investment Account** | ETFs | Full range of 90+ ETFs across all asset classes |
| **Retirement Annuity** | ETFs | Full range of 90+ ETFs across all asset classes |

Emergency Savings and Savings pots automatically invest in the Allan Gray Money Market Fund for instant liquidity. For other accounts, you choose your own funds.

## How to browse available funds

When setting up your investment strategy, you can browse and filter the full list of available funds.

1. Navigate to your **Tax-Free Savings**, **Investment Account**, or **Retirement Annuity**
2. Tap **Edit strategy** or **New strategy**
3. Browse the list of available funds

Use the filter chips at the top to narrow your search:

- **Region**: Filter by Domestic (South African) or Foreign (global) funds
- **Asset class**: Filter by Equity, Bond, Property, Commodity, Multi-asset, Income, or Money market
- **Sharia**: Show only Sharia-compliant funds
- **Selected**: Show only funds you've already added to your strategy

Tap any fund to view more details, including its description, performance chart, and fact sheet.

## Understanding fund information

Each fund displays key information to help you make an informed decision.

### Fund name and symbol

The fund name describes what the fund invests in. The symbol is a short code used to identify the fund (e.g., STXWDM for Satrix MSCI World).

### Description

A brief summary of what the fund tracks or invests in. For example:

- **10x Total World**: Tracks 9000+ global companies of all sizes
- **Satrix MSCI World**: Tracks medium to large companies across 23 developed markets
- **Sygnia Itrix S&P 500**: Tracks the 500 largest companies in the US

### Provider

The fund manager responsible for the fund. Fynbos partners with established South African providers like Satrix, Sygnia, 10X, Allan Gray, and FNB.

### Performance chart

A visual representation of the fund's price over time. You can view performance over different periods (1M, 3M, 6M, 1Y, 3Y, 5Y, Max) by tapping the period selector.

> **Important**: Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns. Use performance data to understand how a fund has behaved historically, not to predict future results.

## Understanding fees: TER and TIC

Funds charge fees that are deducted from your returns. These are expressed as percentages per year.

### TER (Total Expense Ratio)

The TER represents the annual cost of running the fund, including management fees and administrative costs. It's expressed as a percentage of your investment.

For example, a TER of 0.25% means you pay R25 per year for every R10,000 invested.

### TIC (Total Investment Charge)

The TIC includes the TER plus any additional costs like trading fees. It gives a more complete picture of what you'll pay.

**What this means for you**:

- Lower TER/TIC means more of your returns stay in your pocket
- Passive index funds typically have lower fees than actively managed funds
- Fynbos ETFs range from 0.10% to 1.75% TIC depending on the fund

## Reading a fund fact sheet

Every fund has a fact sheet — a document published by the fund provider with detailed information about the fund.

To view a fact sheet:

1. Tap on any fund from the fund list
2. Tap **Fund fact sheet** at the bottom of the fund detail screen

A typical fact sheet includes:

- **Investment objective**: What the fund aims to achieve
- **Benchmark**: The index or target the fund measures itself against
- **Holdings**: The top companies or assets the fund owns
- **Performance**: Historical returns over various time periods
- **Risk profile**: How volatile the fund is expected to be
- **Fees**: TER, TIC, and any other applicable charges

Fact sheets are updated monthly or quarterly by the fund provider.

## Choosing funds for your strategy

When selecting funds for your investment strategy, consider these factors:

### Diversification

Don't put all your money in one fund. Spread across different regions, asset classes, and sectors to reduce risk.

**Example of a diversified strategy**:

- 50% in a global equity fund (e.g., Satrix MSCI World)
- 30% in an emerging markets fund (e.g., Satrix MSCI Emerging Markets)
- 20% in a bond fund (e.g., Satrix SA Bond)

### Time horizon

The longer you're investing, the more risk you can typically afford to take.

- **Long-term (10+ years)**: Higher equity allocation is generally suitable
- **Medium-term (5-10 years)**: Balance between equity and bonds
- **Short-term (under 5 years)**: Consider lower-risk options like bonds or money market

### Cost

Lower-cost funds tend to outperform higher-cost funds over the long term. Compare TER/TIC when choosing between similar funds.

### Simplicity

If you're unsure, a single global equity fund like 10x Total World or Satrix MSCI World gives you exposure to thousands of companies worldwide.

## Curated strategies vs custom strategies

Fynbos offers two approaches to setting your strategy:

### Curated strategies

Pre-built single-fund strategies from trusted providers. Choose one fund and allocate 100% to it. This is the simplest option for most investors.

### Custom strategies

Build your own portfolio by selecting multiple funds and setting your allocation percentages. Available for Tax-Free Savings, Investment accounts, and Retirement Annuities.

1. Tap **Custom strategy** from the curated strategies screen
2. Select the funds you want to include
3. Set the percentage allocation for each fund (must total 100%)
4. Review and confirm your strategy