Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA) is a different sort of mutual fund giant. And how!

Alex Bryan, an equity strategies analyst on Morningstar's manager research team, took readers on a deep dive into Austin-based DFA [profile], whose corporate culture grade the mutual fund ratings giant recently amped up to an A. The piece offers a glimpse of both what M* analysts like to see at fund firms and of what makes the mutual fund company that David Booth built different from others.

Morningstar praises DFA for its "low-cost structure and disciplined approach to investing," an approach that involves little fad-chasing: DFA has only liquidated or merged three funds, ever. DFA leans heavily on its academic roots and friends. And one can't forget its unusual distribution strategy: outside of institutional distribution, only FAs who are approved and educated by DFA are permitted to use DFA funds.

Fundsters who want to know more about what makes DFA tick should read the full article. 

Edited by: Neil Anderson, Managing Editor


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