A stock index is a business model. The concept of "passive" investing is alluring because you don't have to do any work. However, choosing a proprietor of a index that actually looks out for your well-being is, arguable, always relevant.
We are now at the point where companies can game the system of indexing. Investors need to wake up to this fact and realize this is likely a paradigm shift.
If the underwriters of a fund based on an index are involved in manipulating the content of the index, they are effectively the managers of a managed fund pretending to be an index fund.
We are now at the point where companies can game the system of indexing. Investors need to wake up to this fact and realize this is likely a paradigm shift.