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How the SPIVA U.S. Scorecard Understates the Performance of Actively Managed Mutual Funds

May 21, 2026 from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM (ET)

A new academic study argues that the SPIVA U.S. Scorecard “consistently and substantially” understates the performance of actively managed funds due to certain “empirical choices” in its methodology. The study, titled “How the SPIVA U.S. Scorecard Understates the Performance of Actively Managed Mutual Funds,” was conducted by professors K. J. Martijn Cremers, University of Notre Dame; Jon Fulkerson, University of Dayton, and Timothy B. Riley (corresponding author), University of Arkansas and supported by the Investment Adviser Association’s Active Managers Council. 

They conclude that, broadly speaking, the SPIVA U.S. Scorecard is too negative on the value of active management and that active managers performed much better than SPIVA reported. For example, by the authors’ calculations, active fixed income managers tend to outperform over both short and long horizons, reversing the SPIVA conclusions. 

In this webinar, authors Fulkerson and Riley will discuss the study’s methodology and review its findings. 

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If you have questions about this webinar or need help registering, please contact Mike Zapata at mike.zapata@investmentadviser.org.

Webinar Speakers

Jon Fulkerson serves as professor and chairperson of the Department of Economics & Finance at the University of Dayton. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and an MBA from Eastern Kentucky University, followed by a master’s in Economics and a Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Kentucky. His research focuses on mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and investment companies, exploring issues related to fund performance, management strategies, and investor outcomes. As department chair, Dr. Fulkerson is committed to fostering academic excellence, collaborative research, and the preparation of ethical, forward-thinking leaders in economics and finance. 

Tim Riley is an associate professor in the Department of Finance at the University of Arkansas. Prior to joining the faculty, he completed his Ph.D. at the University of Kentucky and worked on mutual fund liquidity regulation as a financial economist at the SEC. His research is focused on mutual funds, hedge funds, and other managed portfolios and has been published in several journals and featured by top media outlets. He teaches a traditional investments course for undergraduate students and an advanced investments course for master’s students. For Ph.D. students, he leads a doctoral seminar covering empirical asset pricing and the investment management industry. Dr. Riley is an active CFA® charterholder. 

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