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Bears Quote by Charlie Munger

“All the equity investors, in total, will surely bear a performance disadvantage per annum equal to the total croupiers' costs they have jointly elected to bear. This is an inescapable fact of life. And it is also inescapable that exactly half of the investors will get a result below the median…” quote by Charlie Munger
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“All the equity investors, in total, will surely bear a performance disadvantage per annum equal to the total croupiers' costs they have jointly elected to bear. This is an inescapable fact of life. And it is also inescapable that exactly half of the investors will get a result below the median result after the croupiers' take, which median result may well be somewhere between unexciting and lousy.”

Charlie Munger

About This Quote

Source Speech: Annual Shareholder Meeting, 1995

Investors inevitably pay fees that reduce returns, and about half will underperform the median after those costs.

In simple terms: Fees cut returns; half underperform median.

Key Takeaway

Expect drag from fees.

Themes

investment fees performance statistics

Mood

cautious realistic

Type

analytical advisory

When to use this quote

  • portfolio management
  • retirement planning
  • mutual fund selection
  • fee analysis

Key Concepts

cost of capital median distribution

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can you minimize fee impact?
  • What alternatives reduce cost?
A Different Perspective

Fees may not be the only source of underperformance.

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