Register For Our Mailing List

Register to receive our free weekly newsletter including editorials.

Home / 382

Video: How Chris Cuffe finds fund managers who 'swing the bat'

After 40 years inside the world of managing investments and selecting fund managers, Chris Cuffe summarises his experiences into a few quick lessons. His observations are not the traditional cliches about past performance and management styles, but what really works when selecting investments.

From the Morningstar Individual Investor Conference, 29 October 2020


The Morningstar 2020 Individual Investor Conference was held over 29 and 30 October and drew over 2,000 registrations. It offered investors the opportunity to tap into the expertise and knowledge and Australia's leading investors. 

Some of the highlight sessions include:

  • Hamish Douglass from Magellan discusses the US election, long-term trends and your portfolio
  • Gemma Dale from nabtrade on the rise of the retail investor
  • Kate Howitt from Fidelity on how she selects stocks
  • David Harrison from Charter Hall Property discusses how it's all about location, location and ... strategy.
  • Anton Tagliaferro of IML on finding long-term opportunities in the current market.

Get access to all the recordings and explore all Premium benefits (including the Sharesight portfolio service) with a free Morningstar Premium trial. No credit card required.


Chris Cuffe is Founder and Portfolio Manager of the charitable trust, Third Link Growth Fund and Chairman of Australian Philanthropic Services. He is the Co-Founder of Cuffelinks, the predecessor to Firstlinks, and sits on the boards and investment committees of many companies and family offices. The views expressed are his own.

 

  •   4 November 2020
  • 6
  •      
  •   
6 Comments
Gary M
November 04, 2020

Can we have some of the names of fund managers who don't charge a management fee but only charge a performance fee?

Matt
November 07, 2020

Solaris

Ray
November 27, 2020

Matt, fyi, the Solaris - performance fee option - fund is closed to new investors

John
November 04, 2020

Chris is the Chairman of one of these funds called EGP Capital, however, it has under performed the ASX 200 Index since it commenced in August 2017. Accordingly, the manager has not received a dollar of performance fees.

Graham Hand
November 08, 2020

Thanks, John, but from their latest report, the fund is ahead of benchmark since inception:

The fund rose by 4.6% in October 2020. The fund has gained 9.28% so far in FY2021.
The benchmark rose by 1.9% in October. The benchmark has gained 1.48% so far in FY2021.
The fund has returned 18.5% since inception (15 August 2017). The benchmark has returned 17.2% since fund inception.
The contiguous performance of both EGP funds since inception (1 April 2011) is 206%. The combined benchmarks have returned 90% since fund inception.

Caesar- Longtime investor/adviser
November 06, 2020

Gary -performance only funds management are nice in theory, but in practice they rarely survive, unless some-one else is paying their cost, which in turn leads to a vested interest/conflict/or they get fees by paying no interest on cash style products, etc.. Ask -Who is paying for the funds legal/accounting/tax/compliance/pds production & updating/investment managers & support people wages/IT systems and needs/Research fees, etc

 

Leave a Comment:

RELATED ARTICLES

Video: Noel Whittaker on investing until you’re 100

My 10 biggest investment management lessons

What Warren Buffett isn’t saying speaks volumes

banner

Most viewed in recent weeks

The growing debt burden of retiring Australians

More Australians are retiring with larger mortgages and less super. This paper explores how unlocking housing wealth can help ease the nation’s growing retirement cashflow crunch.

Four best-ever charts for every adviser and investor

In any year since 1875, if you'd invested in the ASX, turned away and come back eight years later, your average return would be 120% with no negative periods. It's just one of the must-have stats that all investors should know.

LICs vs ETFs – which perform best?

With investor sentiment shifting and ETFs surging ahead, we pit Australia’s biggest LICs against their ETF rivals to see which delivers better returns over the short and long term. The results are revealing.

Family trusts: Are they still worth it?

Family trusts remain a core structure for wealth management, but rising ATO scrutiny and complex compliance raise questions about their ongoing value. Are the benefits still worth the administrative burden?

13 ways to save money on your tax - legally

Thoughtful tax planning is a cornerstone of successful investing. This highlights 13 legal ways that you can reduce tax, preserve capital, and enhance long-term wealth across super, property, and shares.

Our experts on Jim Chalmers' super tax backdown

Labor has caved to pressure on key parts of the Division 296 tax, though also added some important nuances. Here are six experts’ views on the changes and what they mean for you.        

Latest Updates

Investment strategies

Warren Buffett's final lesson

I’ve long seen Buffett as a flawed genius: a great investor though a man with shortcomings. With his final letter to Berkshire shareholders, I reflect on how my views of Buffett have changed and the legacy he leaves.

Property

The housing market is heading into choppy waters

With rates on hold and housing demand strong, lenders are pushing boundaries. As risky products return, borrowers should be cautious and not let clever marketing cloud their judgment.

Investment strategies

Dumb money triumphant

One sign of today's speculative market froth is that retail investors are winning, and winning big. It bears remarkable similarities to 1929 and 1999, and this story may not have a happy ending either.

Retirement

Can the sequence of investment returns ruin retirement?

Retirement outcomes aren’t just about average returns. The sequence of returns, good or bad, can dramatically shape how long super lasts. Understanding sequencing risk is key to managing longevity risk.

Strategy

How AI is changing search and what it means for Google

The use of generative AI in search is on the rise and has profound implications for search engines like Google, as well as for companies that rely on clicks to make sales.

Survey: Getting to know you, and your thoughts on Firstlinks

We’d love to get to know more about our readers, hear your thoughts on Firstlinks and see how we can make it better for you. Please complete this short survey, and have your say.

Investment strategies

A framework for understanding the AI investment boom

Technological leaps - from air travel to computing - has enriched society but squeezed margins. As AI accelerates, investors must separate progress from profitability to avoid repeating past mistakes.

Economy

The mystery behind modern spending choices

Today’s consumers are walking contradictions - craving simplicity in an age of abundance, privacy in a public world. These tensions tell a bigger story about what people truly value and why.

Sponsors

Alliances

© 2025 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved.

Disclaimer
The data, research and opinions provided here are for information purposes; are not an offer to buy or sell a security; and are not warranted to be correct, complete or accurate. Morningstar, its affiliates, and third-party content providers are not responsible for any investment decisions, damages or losses resulting from, or related to, the data and analyses or their use. To the extent any content is general advice, it has been prepared for clients of Morningstar Australasia Pty Ltd (ABN: 95 090 665 544, AFSL: 240892), without reference to your financial objectives, situation or needs. For more information refer to our Financial Services Guide. You should consider the advice in light of these matters and if applicable, the relevant Product Disclosure Statement before making any decision to invest. Past performance does not necessarily indicate a financial product’s future performance. To obtain advice tailored to your situation, contact a professional financial adviser. Articles are current as at date of publication.
This website contains information and opinions provided by third parties. Inclusion of this information does not necessarily represent Morningstar’s positions, strategies or opinions and should not be considered an endorsement by Morningstar.