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When investing in mutual funds, you'll undoubtedly hear a lot about a fund's expense ratio. Everybody will tell you that you should look for a fund with a low expense ratio but not all expense ratios are created equal. There are several components that go into the fund's final expense ratio and some of them may affect you differently.
The largest component of an expense ratio is the fee that's paid to the fund's managers. They're managing your money for you and they need to be paid for it. Even with an index fund there is periodic portfolio rebalancing and managing the fund's cash position that requires a fee.
In addition, the expense ratio may include an additional fee that covers things such as recordkeeping, account maintenance and legal fees incurred by the fund. Although typically a much smaller percentage than the core management fee, this fee should be broken down in the fund's prospectus as well.
Finally, you may see mention of a 12b-1 fee. This is a marketing expense a fund can assess for promotion and advertisement and can be charged back to the fund's shareholders. These three pieces together typically comprise a fund's complete expense ratio.
It's worth noting the additional fees that typically do not fall under a fund's expense ratio. Account maintenance fees – annual fees typically charged to lower balance accounts – fall outside of the expense ratio. Sales loads – a percentage that a broker typically charges you to buy or sell mutual fund shares – come in addition to the fund's expense ratio. Trading fees such as early redemption fees don't count in the fund's expense ratio either.
While a fund's expense ratio will in most cases comprise the biggest portion of expense you'll pay, the bottom line is that you have to understand all potential fees and charges that go into mutual fund ownership. Keep aiming for funds with low overall fees and expenses and you'll end up with more money in your pocket.
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What expense ratio is usual for a mutual fund?
Expense ratios, which indicate the amount of money the fund keeps for management and administrative costs, varies greatly depending on the type of fund. Fully managed funds typically have ratios ranging from less than 1% to over 2%. Indexed funds typically are around .25%.
What is the difference between gross expense ratio and net expense ratio?
Net Expense RatioThe net expense ratio is the expense ratio of the fund after applicable expense waivers or reimbursements. This is the actual expense ratio that investors paid during the fund?s most recent fiscal year. Gross Expense RatioThe gross expense ratio is the fund's total annual operating expense ratio. It is gross of any fee waivers or expense reimbursements. Why are these fees waived? In the case of funds with smaller assets, the gross total expense ratios may be much higher than net total expense ratios. This is true because certain fixed costs, such as legal and custodian fees, have a disproportionate impact on the expense ratio of a smaller fund in comparison to a larger fund. Mutual fund families also may choose to waiver fees to make the pricing of a fund more competitive. What types of expenses are included in the gross and net expense ratios? There is no difference in the types of expenses within a gross or net expense ratio. The net expense ratio is simply the gross expense ratio of a fund less any waivers or reimbursements. What caused the need for reporting both the gross expense ratio? Were there abuses of some sort going on? While there are no specific abuses of which we are aware, there is the potential that a fund family can discontinue a fee waiver without a shareholder vote. The NASD thought it was important that investors be aware of the potential gross expense ratio, in addition to the actual net expense ratio that investors paid. Ultimately this will not affect your investments or cause any reason for change. This is more or less a new reporting requirement that is put in place to provide as much objective information regarding a mutual fund as possible. You will still primarily be concerned with the net expense ratio since that is what will determine your real return, but you will begin to notice this additional number being reported on investment materials and online.
What does the 'expense ratio' of an investment fund mean?
Expense Ratios, expressed as a percentage, represents the amount of money a fund spends on management, administrative costs, operating costs, 12b-1 fees and any other costs tied to the assets in the fund. It does not include costs for trades made in the fund. These costs are passed on to the shareholders in the fund and are calculated against the total assets under management. Investors use this percentage to determine their return on the investment by subtracting the cost from the performance of the securities in the portfolio. It is however only one of the costs associated with fund ownership. All fees should be calculated against the return of the fund to get a clear picture of how well the fund performed. Index funds and most exchange traded funds (ETFs) have low expense ratios due to the passive management of the portfolio. These types of funds use a published benchmark (index) and invest based on how the index is constructed. Trading is infrequent and the management's activities are limited, which keep all costs low. These funds are expected to come as close to matching the benchmark without exceeding its performance after the fees are subtracted. Many of these types of funds have expense ratios of less than 0.20%. Actively managed mutual funds have higher expense ratios by comparison due to the active management of the underlying securities in the portfolio. According to the Investment Company Institute (ICI), the average expense ratio for actively managed mutual funds is 0.90%. To perform better than a comparable benchmark, this type of fund must beat the benchmark after these costs are subtracted.
What mutual funds have high Sharpe and Sortino ratios?
Vanguard Wellesley Fund (VWINX) has a 3 year Sharpe ratio of over 2 and a Sortino ratio over 6. That's the best I've come across.
What is spread ratio?
Spread Ratio: Interest Earned / Interest Expense
What analytical services are provided for mutual funds?
Key statistics pertaining to a fund--such as the NAV, offer price, sales charges, expense ratio, and performance measure for various categories of funds--are regularly calculated, analyzed, and published.
What expense ratio is usual for a mutual fund?
Expense ratios, which indicate the amount of money the fund keeps for management and administrative costs, varies greatly depending on the type of fund. Fully managed funds typically have ratios ranging from less than 1% to over 2%. Indexed funds typically are around .25%.
What is the difference between gross expense ratio and net expense ratio?
Net Expense RatioThe net expense ratio is the expense ratio of the fund after applicable expense waivers or reimbursements. This is the actual expense ratio that investors paid during the fund?s most recent fiscal year. Gross Expense RatioThe gross expense ratio is the fund's total annual operating expense ratio. It is gross of any fee waivers or expense reimbursements. Why are these fees waived? In the case of funds with smaller assets, the gross total expense ratios may be much higher than net total expense ratios. This is true because certain fixed costs, such as legal and custodian fees, have a disproportionate impact on the expense ratio of a smaller fund in comparison to a larger fund. Mutual fund families also may choose to waiver fees to make the pricing of a fund more competitive. What types of expenses are included in the gross and net expense ratios? There is no difference in the types of expenses within a gross or net expense ratio. The net expense ratio is simply the gross expense ratio of a fund less any waivers or reimbursements. What caused the need for reporting both the gross expense ratio? Were there abuses of some sort going on? While there are no specific abuses of which we are aware, there is the potential that a fund family can discontinue a fee waiver without a shareholder vote. The NASD thought it was important that investors be aware of the potential gross expense ratio, in addition to the actual net expense ratio that investors paid. Ultimately this will not affect your investments or cause any reason for change. This is more or less a new reporting requirement that is put in place to provide as much objective information regarding a mutual fund as possible. You will still primarily be concerned with the net expense ratio since that is what will determine your real return, but you will begin to notice this additional number being reported on investment materials and online.
What does they annual expense ratio mean?
A measure of what it costs an investment company to operate a mutual fund. An expense ratio is determined through an annual calculation, where a fund's operating expenses are divided by the average dollar value of its assets under management.
What does the 'expense ratio' of an investment fund mean?
Expense Ratios, expressed as a percentage, represents the amount of money a fund spends on management, administrative costs, operating costs, 12b-1 fees and any other costs tied to the assets in the fund. It does not include costs for trades made in the fund. These costs are passed on to the shareholders in the fund and are calculated against the total assets under management. Investors use this percentage to determine their return on the investment by subtracting the cost from the performance of the securities in the portfolio. It is however only one of the costs associated with fund ownership. All fees should be calculated against the return of the fund to get a clear picture of how well the fund performed. Index funds and most exchange traded funds (ETFs) have low expense ratios due to the passive management of the portfolio. These types of funds use a published benchmark (index) and invest based on how the index is constructed. Trading is infrequent and the management's activities are limited, which keep all costs low. These funds are expected to come as close to matching the benchmark without exceeding its performance after the fees are subtracted. Many of these types of funds have expense ratios of less than 0.20%. Actively managed mutual funds have higher expense ratios by comparison due to the active management of the underlying securities in the portfolio. According to the Investment Company Institute (ICI), the average expense ratio for actively managed mutual funds is 0.90%. To perform better than a comparable benchmark, this type of fund must beat the benchmark after these costs are subtracted.
What mutual funds have high Sharpe and Sortino ratios?
Vanguard Wellesley Fund (VWINX) has a 3 year Sharpe ratio of over 2 and a Sortino ratio over 6. That's the best I've come across.
How calculate expense-to-sales ratio?
sales to expense ratio should be under 10% of your net sales, on a monthly basis
What is a spread ratio?
Spread Ratio: Interest Earned / Interest Expense
What is spread ratio?
Spread Ratio: Interest Earned / Interest Expense
What is the average expense to sales ratio for a sales representative?
The average expense to sales ratio for Pharmaceutical sales representative is around 8 to 12 % in Pakistan
Disadvantages of mutual fund?
A mutual fund is an investment vehicle with a well defined, easy to understand investment strategy and goals. Investing in a mutual fund is only advantageous if the investment strategy and goals of the fund (or combination of funds) match that of an investor. For example, if investment is made into a fund whose goal is growth over a long term, an investor may lose a significant fraction of their investment when taking the money out too soon. A second, very important consideration is taxes. It turns out that buying mutual funds is a good idea when one is to use tax advantages of retirement plans, such as IRA, Roth IRA or 401k, 403b. The reason is that a so-called turnover ratio (or distributed gains) for a mutual fund can be quite high. If you have to pay taxes on these gains, you might end up paying tax on the income you did not receive. It is therefore recommended to use low turnover mutual funds or an entirely different investment vehicle - exchange traded funds (ETF) if investment is made in an ordinary (vs. tax privileged) account.
Investor Questionnaire: How Do You Choose a Mutual Fund?
Select the right mutual fund for your investment goals by answering a few questions first. Mutual funds help investors pool resources to invest in a portfolio of stocks, bonds, or a combination of asset classes. The three major asset classes include stocks (equity), bonds (debt) and money market instruments, such as short-term Treasury bills, certificates of deposit and commercial paper.1. What's your risk tolerance?If taking any risk concerns you, a U.S. Treasury bond fund or high quality money market mutual fund may be right for you. If you're comfortable assuming more risk to achieve a higher return, evaluate stock mutual funds or balanced stock and bond mutual funds.2. What are your investment goals?Your financial advisor often tells you to invest for the long term. She tells you to consider time in the market, not market timing. Long-term investors purchase quality investments. Bond investors purchase investment quality bonds. Stock investors purchase blue-chip stocks, such as the companies that make up the Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDU). Quality investments have an established track record of performance. The issuer or company's credit rating is usually high, and established by a Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization (NRSRO) such as Standard & Poor's or Moody's.3. What is your investment time horizon?Long-term investors evaluate investments over a three to five year horizon. If you're a short-term trader, mutual funds probably aren't the best investment vehicle for you. A mutual fund spreads risk over many securities. For that reason, a mutual fund of high quality bonds or blue-chip stocks tends to rise or fall more slowly than other investments.4. How do you evaluate mutual fund costs?Even no-load mutual funds pass along costs to investors. The fund's portfolio managers, analysts, administrators and accountants receive compensation to manage the mutual fund. Ask for a prospectus before investing in any mutual fund. Identify the expense ratio of each fund you're considering as an investment. No-load mutual funds have variable expense ratios.
