Is FIRE a good ETF?
FIRE is the Firetrail Alpha Plus Fund - Complex ETF. We classify it under AU and Active. With about $16 million in assets it is a relatively small fund (worth checking spreads and liquidity before buying).
On a total-return basis, FIRE has delivered 15.27% a year over 1 year (ranked 79th of 308 ETFs we track).
The management fee of 0.9% is high, which is common for active, geared or thematic strategies and only worth paying if the approach justifies it. For comparison, similar ETFs average around 0.49%. If cost is your priority, MQAE (0.03%), IOZ (0.05%), and VAS (0.07%) cover similar ground for less. It pays a moderate 3.34% yield.
Portfolio turnover is very high at about 150% a year — the fund effectively rebuilds its portfolio each year, which realises capital gains aggressively and can create a meaningful tax drag, especially for higher earners holding it outside super.
Things to watch
- A 0.9% management fee is high and compounds against you over time.
- Pricier than similar ETFs, which average around 0.49%.
- Cheaper alternatives exist: MQAE, IOZ, and VAS.
- High portfolio turnover (150% a year) means frequent trading that realises capital gains, adding tax drag — less efficient than a low-turnover index fund.
Good to know
- Distributions are 70% franked, a tax bonus for Australian residents.
- Australian focus means franked dividends and no currency risk, but heavy concentration in banks and miners.
What FIRE's categories mean for you
How each category this ETF belongs to tends to behave across market cycles.
Australian shares. Home-market familiarity, fully franked dividends and no currency risk for local investors — but very concentrated in banks and miners, which dominate the index.
- Market regime
- Sensitive to commodity prices, Chinese demand and domestic interest rates. Generous income, but narrow sector diversification.
- In a portfolio
- A natural core for Australian investors thanks to franking, but should be paired with global exposure so you aren't over-reliant on a handful of banks and resource giants.
Actively managed: a portfolio manager hand-picks holdings trying to beat the index, rather than simply tracking it. You pay more in fees for the chance of outperformance.
- Market regime
- Can add value in volatile, falling or inefficient markets where stock-picking and downside protection matter. In long, broad bull markets most active funds struggle to keep up with the cheap index after fees.
- In a portfolio
- Only worth holding if you have genuine conviction in the strategy — decades of evidence show the majority of active funds underperform their benchmark over 10+ years once fees are counted.
General information only, generated from the fund's published data — not personal financial advice. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns. Consider your own circumstances or seek licensed advice before investing.