Mutual funds in the US are expected to spend more time and analysis evaluating key shareholder issues this proxy season as a result of the financial crisis. At the top of their lists are compensation-related resolutions filed by shareholders.

“Plain vanilla” or mainstream mutual funds are more willing to back shareholder activism this year because of outrage over mismanagement at some companies, says Christopher Young, head of M&A and proxy fight research at RiskMetrics Group, parent of ISS Governance Services, the largest proxy advisory firm.