Survey finds investors don’t understand or prioritise costs Survey finds investors don’t understand or prioritise costs A new survey has found that investors do not fully understand, or are not prioritising, costs when evaluating investments. A A The survey, conducted by State Street, found that comprehension of investment fees is low even when working with an adviser, with 47 per cent (nearly half of those who took the survey) believing that the management costs of investments such as ETFs are already included in the fee. The US financial services company suggests there is a lack of understanding about what diversification means; 85 per cent agreed that “a well-diversified portfolio is one with a variety of investments that reduce stock market risk,” while 55 per cent incorrectly said, “a well-diversified portfolio is having investments in a variety of accounts at different firms or investment platforms.