One fund is going a step up in the race to zero-fee ETFs by paying investors to invest money into its novel exchange traded fund.
Salt Financial filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission launched an ETF that will pay people on temporary basis to pay for at least next first year. The firm is less than two-year-old firm already runs a $10 million ETF called the Salt High Trubeta US Market ETF (SLT).
Salt’s plan arrived in an increasingly competitive ETF backdrop with lots of options. Incumbents like Vanguard, BlackRock and Charles Schwab have continued to reduce fees, while budding entrants like Social Financial, which is the lending site called SoFi, have began out at zero.
J.P. Morgan declared its lowest-fee ETF yet, with a 0.02 percent fee. BlackRock’s Charles Schwab and iShares had been the lowest for broad U.S. equity exposure at 0.03 percent fees each, while Vanguard Group’s broad U.S. stock market ETF charges 0.04 percent.
Salt’s rate is not permanent, though, and the kickbacks are little. The firm has promised to pay 0.05 percent of assets to the ETF but only on the first $100 million under management until April 2020. For example, investors will get 50 cents back on every $1,000 sitting in the fund. Once the fund grows to $100 million, the cash-kickback will be capped and shared with buyers. Once the ETF passes that April 2020 date or crosses the $100 million level, whichever comes first, it will charge 0.29 percent.