It’s hard to tell if direct indexing is a fad or a true innovation in the financial world but the data is trickling in and it appears to be garnering genuine interest. Custom indexing has long been a tool for institutional and high-net-worth individuals but the new wave of fintech companies who have leveraged innovation to deliver and lower minimums has it gaining traction among a wider audience. Cerulli Associates has direct indexing pegged at growing by 12% annually which will outpace ETFs and mutual fund competitors. Direct indexing differentiates itself from ETFs by giving investors autonomy because they own the underlying assets. This gives the flexibility to add/drop stocks as they can see fit. The most common usage for this type of investment vehicle is for tax-alpha where investors can drop poor performers to tax-loss harvest.

Finsum: Custom indexing is really bringing more options and flexibility to investors which makes investments more democratic than ever.