Brothers, today I'm going to tell you a gruesome true story! There was an unfortunate soul who bought a three-year closed-end fund on August 26, 2021, with high hopes of making a fortune, but what happened? After three years, 100,000 yuan was left with only 42,000! Not only did this guy not make any money, but he also lost everything he had!

**Event Process**

Back on August 26, 2021, the fund market was booming! Fund managers were all talking up the market, claiming that long-term holding could lock in more profits. Now we understand why they always sang that tune. It turns out that these fund companies just wanted to lock in management fees in advance, ensuring a sure profit!

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At that time, mixed funds and equity funds had to hold at least 65% of their assets in stocks. The fund managers were all pumped up, with some even investing more than 90% of their funds into the stock market. These guys were counting on the stock market to rise and make money. But here comes the problem: if the stock market falls, doesn't the fund go down with it?

Our A-share market, whether it's a bull or bear market, the stock trend is basically a big "A" shape. It goes up on one side and comes down on the other. Some investors with sharp vision might be able to buy at a low point, hold long-term, and finally exit with a breakeven or a small loss. But now, those who can break even are already considered master-level experts!

Let's take a look at this unfortunate fund. It was issued on August 26, 2021, and three years have passed, which is not a short period. So, what's the result? People who bought this fund have all lost 58%! Can you believe it? 100,000 yuan in, and now only 42,000 yuan out! Isn't this just a scam?

This fund was quite popular at the time, with an issue size of 15 billion yuan. Generally, a fund that can issue such a large scale must have good publicity, a well-known fund manager, and the fund company is not an unknown entity. Moreover, it was the peak period for funds, with funds in pharmaceuticals, new energy, semiconductors, and liquor sectors being very popular among investors.

This fund, aiming at the taste of investors at that time, had a portfolio full of new energy stocks. At that time, many photovoltaic and lithium battery stocks in the new energy sector were already hundred-yuan stocks. This fund took over all these high-priced stocks without hesitation.

Look at the stocks it heavily invested in: EVE Energy, Sungrow Power Supply, Fluorine Chemistry, Longi Green Energy, Jinko Technology, and JA Solar, all of which were hundred-yuan stocks at that time. Now? This fund is still holding onto some of these stocks.

In three years, many of these stocks have fallen by more than 70%. The fact that this fund has only fallen by 58% is, to be honest, not too bad. But where's the problem? This is a three-year closed-end fund! Investors can only watch their money shrink, and they can't even stop the loss. Now it seems that this kind of closed-end fund is of no benefit to investors at all.Let's do the math again. This fund initially had a size of 15 billion, and now it's down to 6.8 billion. Over the past three years, it has lost a staggering 8.2 billion for the investors! Yet, the fund management company hasn't missed out on a single cent of its management fees, raking in a whopping 409 million! Isn't that infuriating?

In just three days, on Monday, August 26, 2024, this fund is going to be unlocked. Whether it will face the pressure of massive redemptions is really uncertain at this point.

Some investors are nearly driven mad, saying, "If you can get 40,000 out of 100,000, that's already pretty good." Why do they say that? Because if you buy those delisted stocks, you'd be lucky to get 3,700 out of 100,000. There have been quite a few stocks that have voluntarily delisted this year, with their share prices hitting 0.37 at delisting. So, some investors are even grateful to the fund company for not 'killing' them off, can you believe that?

The overall market trend is not good, and the fund continues to lose money. Many investors can't take it anymore and are rushing to cut their losses and exit, vowing never to touch funds again. There are still some holding on, but they're anxious, hoping to get out of the trap soon, or at least lose less money, and then quickly sell out and have an amicable breakup with the fund.

The most amusing thing is that the fund manager of this fund is still in denial. He tells the investors, "Although our investment style has underperformed compared to investors' expectations over the past two years, we still have confidence in our holdings!" Come on, the investors' confidence has long been eroded by you!

This situation has taught us a lesson. Investing in funds may seem simple, but there's a lot more to it. Do you really think the fund managers have your best interests at heart? They might be more concerned about whether their management fees can come in steadily. Moreover, even large, well-known fund companies can't guarantee the safety of your investments.

And those so-called hot sectors, like new energy and pharmaceuticals, may look promising, but they also carry significant risks. When the fund managers are fully invested, it might already be at the peak. By the time you follow suit, it might already be on a downward trend.

Lastly, this lock-up period seems to be a double-edged sword. The fund company claims it's to protect investors' interests, to prevent them from being easily scared by market fluctuations. But in reality? It's more like a lock, securing both the investors' funds and the fund company's management fees. By the time you want to cut your losses, it might already be too late.

So, folks, when investing in funds, you need to keep your eyes wide open. Don't be deceived by sweet talk, and don't be fooled by the so-called "long-term investment" theory. Remember, in the world of investment, there are no 100% safe choices. The key is to know how to diversify risks and cut losses in time. Don't end up like this guy, with 100,000 down to 42,000, and still have to thank them for their 'mercy'. We don't want to go through that experience again!

Speaking of which, let's talk about what happens next. Guess what? As soon as this fund was unlocked, a huge wave of investors rushed to redeem. Now, the fund company is nearly overwhelmed, working overtime every day to process redemption requests. Some investors are still anxious, worried about when the redemption money will actually arrive in their accounts.As soon as this incident broke, the internet was in an uproar. Everyone was chiming in with their opinions in the comment section. Let's take a look at what these netizens are saying.

Lao Li commented, "Wow, isn't this just highway robbery? After three years, you can't even keep half of the principal. Has this fund manager lost his mind?"

Xiao Wang followed up, "I think these fund companies are just acting like bullies. They trap our money and still collect their management fees without missing a beat. It's like they're blatantly taking advantage of us."

Ah Hua vented, "I just want to ask, did this fund manager invest all our money into a three-year financial product? Otherwise, how could the losses be so severe?"

Da Zhuang angrily said, "These fund companies should be fined! They're just scam artists. Who would dare to buy their funds in the future?"

Tie Zhu, on the other hand, said, "Well, I should have just put my money in the bank. Although the interest is low, at least it wouldn't have lost so much."

Xiao Fang helplessly said, "My mom was asking me the other day if I should buy some funds. Now I have the confidence to say 'no' to her."

Lao Zhang was more optimistic: "Don't lose heart, guys. The market always has its ups and downs. Maybe in a few years, we could break even?"

Dou Dou said, "I think we can't put all the blame on the fund manager. When we invest, we also need to be more cautious and not get carried away by the promise of high returns."

Xiao Mei proposed a viewpoint: "I think this issue needs to be addressed from the root. Shouldn't the regulatory authorities introduce some new regulations to limit the operating space of these fund companies?"Da Pang then said: "Speaking of which, the fund manager also has a tough time. They're scolded every day, under tremendous pressure. But when I think about their salary, I feel less sympathy."

However, we investors should also reflect. Are we too easily blinded by the promise of high returns? Do we not have a sufficient understanding of market risks? In the future, when investing, we must keep our eyes wide open and be more vigilant.

Finally, I hope this matter can attract the attention of the regulatory authorities. It might be time to establish stricter regulations to protect the interests of us ordinary investors. After all, for the fund market to develop healthily, the trust of investors is indispensable.