--- title: Stock Picker or Basket Buyer? Know the Difference description: Learn the difference between being a stock picker and a basket buyer in the stock market. Discover the advantages and disadvantages of each approach and explore the benefits of separately managed accounts. Find out how you can make informed investment decisions and minimize risk. image: https://blog.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/hubfs/ft-img-eggs-basket.png --- [![Vineyard Global Advisors](https://blog.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Vineyard_GlobalAdvisors_logo_transparent.png?width=250&height=87&name=Vineyard_GlobalAdvisors_logo_transparent.png "Vineyard Global Advisors")](https://www.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/) - [Home](https://www.vineyardglobaladvisors.com) - [Our Firm](https://www.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/our-firm) - [Philosophy](https://www.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/our-philosophy) - Strategies - [Strategy Overview](https://www.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/strategies) - Equity Alpha - [Quantitative Value](https://www.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/quantitative-value) - [Quantitative Growth](https://www.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/quantitative-growth) - [Sector Rotation](https://www.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/sector-rotation) - [Style Flex](https://www.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/style-flex) - [Optimized Equity Alpha](https://www.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/optimized-equity-alpha) - [Enhanced S&P 500](https://www.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/enhanced-500) - Income - [Russell 3000 Enhanced Dividend](https://www.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/russell-3000) - [Dynamic Yield](https://www.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/dynamic-yield) - [Risk Managed Income](https://www.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/risk-managed-income) - [Global Fixed Income](https://www.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/global-fixed-income) - Asset Allocation - [Advantage Plus Series](https://www.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/advantage-plus-series) - [Allocation Plus Series](https://www.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/allocation-plus-series) - [ETF Advantage Series](https://www.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/etf-advantage-series) - Insights - [Market Commentary](https://blog.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/commentary) - [Quarterly Webinars](https://blog.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/commentary/tag/webinars) - [In The News](https://blog.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/blog/tag/in-the-news) - [Blog](https://blog.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/blog) - [For Advisors](https://www.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/wealth-advisors) - Contact - [Contact Us](https://www.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/contact-us) - [Request for Proposal](https://www.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/request-for-proposal) ![VGA_Hero](https://blog.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/hubfs/VGA_Hero.jpg) [Strategy](https://blog.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/blog/tag/strategy) | 5 min read # Stock Picker or Basket Buyer? Know the Difference Written by [VGA Investment Team](https://blog.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/blog/author/vga-investment-team) Feb 13, 2024 8:00:00 AM ![ft-img-horse-racing](https://blog.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ft-img-horse-racing.png?width=800&height=420&name=ft-img-horse-racing.png) Participating as an individual investor in the stock market is like a day at the races. Do a lot of research - learn about the background of the riders, owners, and horses. Find out how long they have been racing, and maybe look up their past performance history. It’s fun! It gets even more exciting as they take a warm-up lap and prance around to show off their withers and racing silks. Some base their bets on solid research, while others act on hunches or even the color of the rider’s cap. Anything can happen during a race, and once all bets are placed, all you can do is watch, hoping your horse will win the race. ## The Stock Picker Managing money on your own takes Time, Temperament, and Talent - the 3 Ts. Ask yourself if you have the spare time, the ability to adjust and make compromises with your plans, and the skill to know when to hold firm or pivot on your own. Sure, you can listen to the talking heads on TV or subscribe to newsletters - they will all tell you what you want to hear, but they are also most likely trying to sell you something. Picking your own stocks may give you a sense of control, but in the long run, you might find it tedious and, well, stressful. Learn more [here](https://www.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/our-philosophy)about opportunity vs risk. ![ft-img-woman-contract-computer](https://blog.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ft-img-woman-contract-computer.png?width=800&height=420&name=ft-img-woman-contract-computer.png) Knowing that you have actively chosen a company, talking to your friends about it, reading all of the research, and maybe even consulting with your neighbor who used to work in the industry, you feel confident in your purchase of shares in a company you believe in. It almost makes you feel like you are part of that company because you have done your own due diligence and now own a share of their profits. That sense of ownership can be heady, especially if your pick begins to rise in value. This approach can be thrilling, but it does come with its own set of challenges. Those challenges can amplify when your chosen company(s) do not perform as anticipated. Frustration can grow if you are given untrustworthy information or listen to a certain advice giver on TV - who ended up shorting the very stock he encouraged everyone to buy. In the age of instant information, it has become harder to find out the truth. If you have ever searched the internet for the best way to lose weight - you know where this is headed - you will find three medically backed and proven research studies providing that eating more eggs will make you lose weight. But as you continue to search, you will find three more medically backed and proven research studies providing that eating more eggs will certainly prevent you from losing a single pound. The more you search for answers, the less certain you will be of the results. Add the stress of having all of the responsibility of managing your own individual stocks squarely on your shoulders to the growing doubt about the research you spent hours on, and it gets a little less attractive to go it alone. As the markets grow into their [volatility era](https://blog.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/blog/reformed-investor-pivot-to-ride-the-volatility-wave), the daily stress of watching your personal portfolio bounce up and down might just be too much. This is where a managed fund might start looking very attractive. ## The Basket Buyer Many believe that the right way to get something done correctly is to hire a professional to do it for you. There are many instances where this holds true, like medical situations or installing an inground pool. Doing it yourself isn’t always prudent. Funds come in many shapes and sizes. The mutual fund has become the most common, with the ETF rising in popularity in the last few years. Mutual funds let you pool your money with other investors to “mutually” buy stocks, bonds, and other investments. - They offer a wide variety of investment strategies and styles. - You get exposure to all the investments in the fund and any income they generate. - They are run by professional money managers who decide which securities to buy (stocks, bonds, etc.) and when to sell them. Buying mutual funds can be easy. Many banks and brokerage firms have their own line of proprietary mutual funds as well as access to third-party funds. Transaction costs are typically lower because a mutual fund buys and sells large amounts of securities at a time. They are diversified and have the benefit of being managed by a professional manager who performs all of the research and reviews the fund’s performance on an ongoing basis. ETFs are funds that trade on exchanges, generally tracking a specific index. You get a bundle, or basket, of assets you can buy and sell during market hours. - ETFs combine the trading versatility of individual securities with the diversified qualities of mutual funds to meet a variety of investment needs. - They let you access a diverse mix of asset classes, including domestic and international stocks, bonds, and commodities. - ETFs can be bought or sold intraday at different prices. Mutual fund trades are executed once a day at a single price. ![ft-img-eggs-basket](https://blog.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ft-img-eggs-basket.png?width=1200&height=630&name=ft-img-eggs-basket.png) You might be considering the basket approach for its ease of use and popularity. They carry a reputation of being less risky, but all investments carry some level of risk. Mutual funds and ETFs also carry some disadvantages: - Tax inefficiency - Poor trade execution - Restrictive - Too hands-off - Passively managed Why wouldn’t you want to have more say in your investments, and how can you have the benefits of a mutual fund or ETF without becoming just one of thousands of investors in a giant conglomerate? Separately managed accounts (SMAs) might be what you are looking for. [Four Reasons Why SMAs are Great for Investors](https://blog.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/blog/four-reasons-separately-managed-accounts-are-great-for-investors) ## SMAs SMAs offer many advantages over mutual funds and ETFs - especially when it comes to taxes. Mutual funds can generate a lot of taxable events. The profits and the losses are passed directly to you, the investor. More often than not, you will end up owing capital gains taxes on a fund that actually lost you money. [Vineyard Global Advisors](https://www.vineyardglobaladvisors.com/strategies) offers 12 fee-only, actively managed, including hedged and long-only investment strategies via separately managed accounts. Learn more about the advantages of Separately Managed Accounts that include: - Customized investment portfolios - Tax smart planning - Insight and transparency - Professional management - Risk-managed diversity > “The way risk is handled can have a > substantial impact on an > investor’s ultimate success. 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