This is how a key information document can help you!
Did you know that you can compare investment funds against each other or with other financial instruments at any time? A standardised key information document (or "PRIIPs – Key Information Document" or "PRIIPs-KID” for short) for such investment products. Investment funds can vary widely – not only regarding the assets in which they invest and the associated risks, but also regarding their cost structure. The key information document in particular provides retail investors with a clear overview of the most important information about an investment product. This allows you to get a clear overview and to compare different investment funds more easily. Key information documents can be found on the respective provider’s website – in the case of investment funds they can be found on the management company’s website.
Useful information in the key information document
Transparency of charges
You can obtain an overview about all one-off, ongoing, and additional charges and about how they affect your return. Fees that you have to pay to your financial adviser or distributor are not taken into account.
Risk indicators
The overall risk indicator shows how high the probability that you will lose your money with this product, for example due to the markets developing in a certain manner. There is a scale of risk classes ranging from 1 to 7.
Performance description
This section describes how the product might develop in an optimistic, medium or pessimistic scenario. This presentation should help you to estimate the expected return under different scenarios better. This stress scenario shows what you might get back of your invested money in extreme market conditions.
Tips for using the key information document:
- Read thoroughly!
Take the time to read carefully through all the sections in the key information document. Consider what the information means for your specific investment situation. - Compare different funds!
If you are considering an investment in investment funds, compare various key information documents in order to be able to make an informed decision. The content and length of key information documents are legally prescribed, and therefore are easy to compare. - Look out for the details!
You can find additional information in the prospectuses and published reports about the respective investment fund. - Weigh up the risks!
Ensure that you understand the risk description in key information document and check whether the investment fund matches your risk profile. - Consider all the charges!
In addition to the charges stated in the key information document, they may also be one-off fees like advisory fees that shouldn’t be overlooked.
The key information document provides value assistance for investors wanting to invest in investment funds or who generally want to compare them against other packaged financial instruments. It contains a clear, comprehensible and comparable overview about an investment fund’s most important characteristics. In a market analysis conducted in 2024, the FMA determined that the key information documents issued by Austrian credit institutions and retail funds prove to be of a prevailingly good quality. Use these documents to make informed and well-grounded decisions.
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