DIY managed funds online

Investors prepared to poke around online have an increasing number of ways to save themselves most or all of those hefty entry fees. There are now a bunch of websites that offer discounted access to the likes of unit trusts, super funds and insurance bonds as well as a range of financial information.

What they won't get is advice: these sites are primarily for the do-it-yourselfer. And, so far, they won't get access to any listed funds either (although that's something MoneyOnLine are considering - see below).

Meanwhile, the people offering managed funds online count on trail fees for their income and perhaps some increased publicity for their other business activities. As you'll see in our round-up of a number of sites, they've had different motivations for setting up on the 'Net - and some very different results.