A recent Morningstar article discussed what it means for consumers now that several large fund shops are posting their money market funds’ shadow NAVs daily. The author’s conclusion is that it doesn’t change much for the average consumer. This is largely because most changes will be small and perhaps invisible. Funds’ shadow NAVs do not fluctuate that often, and even if they do, the changes may not be disclosed since the shadow NAVs are generally being shown only to four decimal points. In addition, even if the NAVs are fluctuating, a consumer may still choose to invest in a fund because its yield, expense ratio and liquidity may be better than alternative products on the market.
