Mutual funds. Mutual funds pool and invest the money of many people. Each investor owns shares in the mutual fund that represent a part of the mutual fund's holdings. The portfolio of securities held by a mutual fund is managed by a professional investment adviser following a specific investment policy. In addition to investment management and administration fees, you may find these fees:
- Some mutual funds assess sales charges (see above for a discussion of sales charges). These charges may be paid when you invest in a fund (known as a front-end load) or when you sell shares (known as a back-end load, deferred sales charge or redemption fee). A front-end load is deducted up front and, therefore, reduces the amount of your initial investment. A back-end load is determined by how long you keep your investment. There are various types of back-end loads, including some which decrease and eventually disappear over time. A back-end load is paid when the shares are sold (i.e., if you decide to sell a fund share when a back-end load is in effect, you will be charged the load).
- Mutual funds also may charge what are known as Rule 12b-1 fees, which are ongoing fees paid out of fund assets. Rule 12b-1 fees may be used to pay commissions to brokers and other salespersons, to pay for advertising and other costs of promoting the fund to investors and to pay various service providers to a 401(k) plan pursuant to a bundled services arrangement. They are usually between 0.25 percent and 1.00 percent of assets annually.
- Some mutual funds may be advertised as "no load" funds. This can mean that there is no front- or back-end load. However, there may be a small 12b-1 fee.
Collective investment funds. A collective investment fund is a trust fund managed by a bank or trust company that pools investments of 401(k) plans and other similar investors. Each investor has a proportionate interest in the trust fund assets. For example, if a collective investment fund holds $10 million in assets and your investment in the fund is $10,000, you have a 0.1 percent interest in the fund. Like mutual funds, collective investment funds may have different investment objectives. There are no front- or back-end fees associated with a collective investment fund, but there are investment management and administrative fees.
Variable annuities. Insurance companies frequently offer a range of investment alternatives for 401(k) plans through a group variable annuity contract between an insurance company and an employer on behalf of a plan. The variable annuity contract "wraps" around investment alternatives, often a number of mutual funds. Participants select from among the investment alternatives offered, and the returns to their individual accounts vary with their choice of investments. Variable annuities also include one or more insurance elements, which are not present in other investment alternatives. Generally, these elements include an annuity feature, interest and expense guarantees and any death benefit provided during the term of the contract. In addition to investment management fees and administration fees, you may find these fees:
- Insurance-related charges are associated with investment alternatives that include an insurance component. They include items such as sales expenses, mortality risk charges and the cost of issuing and administering contracts.
- Surrender and transfer charges are fees an insurance company may charge when an employer terminates a contract (in other words, withdraws the plan's investment) before the term of the contract expires or if you withdraw an amount from the contract. This fee may be imposed if these events occur before the expiration of a stated period and commonly decrease and disappear over time. It is similar to an early withdrawal penalty on a bank certificate of deposit or to a back-end load or redemption fee charged by some mutual funds.
Pooled guaranteed investment contract (GIC) funds. A common fixed income investment option, a pooled GIC fund generally includes a number of contracts issued by an insurance company or bank paying an interest rate that blends the fixed interest rates of each of the GICs included in the pool. There are investment management and administrative fees associated with the pooled GIC fund.
While the investments described above are common, 401(k) plans also may offer other investments which are not described here (such as employer securities).
401k Tip---
According to Southern California-based (401k) Enginuity (www.401kenginuity.com), twenty-year veteran in developing and running 401(k) administration and 401(k) software and recordkeeping systems, the Internet will be the primary delivery system for 401(k)s by 2007. Many web-based 401(k) plans will run on administration and recordkeeping platforms that plan providers will outsource to 401k specialists and 401k Application Service Providers (ASP).
The advantages of web-based online 401(k) plans are obvious to today's workers, and include use conveniences, real-time monitoring and reporting, and instant re-allocation of their retirement assets. The internet has also dramatically reduce the cost of 401(k) plan administration, saving plan sponsor 50% or more in ongoing fees and costs when compared to the older traditional labor-intensive plans. Outsourcing of 401(k) functions by plan providers will extend the trend towards lower cost, high-quality 401(k) products.
401(k) plan providers of all types, financial institutions including banks, insurance companies, brokerages, mutual fund companies, credit unions, and third-party administrators, are now actively outsourcing 401(k) administration and recordkeeping tasks to 401(k) ASPs --- vendors such as 401k Enginuity, whose sole function is to maintain, updated and supervise software-based 401(k) administration and recordkeeping systems on behalf of plan providers. 401(k) ASP vendors are responsible for all routine day-to-day 401(k) recordkeeping and administration functions, thus allowing the plan providers to reduce internal staff, eliminate the expense and complications of licensing, housing and running hardware and 401(k) administration software in-house. Plan providers can refocus and concentrate their efforts on to the needs of their plan sponsors and plan participants, and rely upon the outsourced ASP 401(k) vendor for the recordkeeping and technical "backbone" supporting providers' Internet-based plans. It is inevitable that some of this 401(k) outsourcing to ASPs will include secondary outsourcing of certain non-critical low-level routine day-to-day tasks to non-US locations, where labor costs are less yet the expertise is abundant.
4. Where can I get information about the fees and expenses charged to my 401(k) plan account?
If you have questions about the fees and expenses charged to your 401(k) plan, contact your plan administrator, who should be able to assist you with the following documents:
- If your plan permits you to direct the investment of assets in your account, the plan administrator should provide you with copies of documents describing investment management and other fees associated with each of the investment alternatives available to you (i.e., a prospectus). The plan administrator should also provide a description of any transaction fees and expenses that will be charged against your account balance in connection with the investments that you direct.
- Your account statement will show the total assets in your account, how they are invested and any increases (or decreases) in your investments during the period covered by the statement. It may also show administrative expenses charged to your account. Account statements will be provided once a year upon request, unless your plan document provides otherwise.
- Your 401(k) plan's summary plan description (SPD) will tell you what the plan provides and how it operates. It may tell you if administrative expenses are paid by your plan, rather than by your employer, and how those expenses are allocated among plan participants. A copy of the SPD is furnished to participants when they join a plan and every 5 years if there are material modifications or every 10 years if there is no modification.
- The plan's annual report (Form 5500 series) contains information regarding the plan's assets, liabilities, income and expenses and shows the aggregate administrative fees and other expenses paid by the plan. However, it will not show expenses deducted from investment results or fees and expenses paid by your individual account. Fees paid by your employer also will not be shown. You may examine the annual report for free or request a copy from the plan administrator (for which there may be a charge). A complete explanation of the Form 5500 series is contained in the publication Protect Your Pension: A Quick Reference Guide, listed at the back of this booklet. In general, the summary annual report, which summarizes the annual report information, is distributed each year.
In addition, you may want to consult the business section of major daily newspapers, business and financial publications, rating services, the business librarian at the public library or the Internet (see the list of helpful Websites listed at the back of this booklet). These sources will provide information and help you compare the performance and expenses of your investment options with other investments outside of your 401(k) plan.
If, after doing your own analysis, you have questions regarding the rates of return or fees of your plan's investment options, ask your plan administrator for an explanation.
5. What other factors might impact the fees and expenses of my 401(k) plan?
- Funds that are "actively managed" (i.e., funds with an investment adviser who continually researches, monitors and actively trades the holdings of the fund to seek a higher return than the market) generally have higher fees. The higher fees are associated with the more active management provided and sales charges from the higher level of trading activity. While actively managed funds seek to provide higher returns than the market, neither active management nor higher fees necessarily guarantee higher returns.
- Funds that are "passively managed" generally have lower management fees. Passively managed funds seek to obtain the investment results of an established market index, such as the Standard and Poor's 500, by duplicating the holdings included in the index. Thus, passively managed funds require little research or trading activity.
- If the services and investment alternatives under your plan are offered through a bundled program, then some or all of the costs of plan services may not be separately charged to the plan or to your employer. For example, these costs possibly may be subsidized by the asset-based fees charged on investments. Compare the services received in light of the total fees paid.
- Plans with more total assets may be able to lower fees by using special funds or classes of stock in funds, which generally are sold to larger group investors. "Retail" or "brand name" funds, which are also marketed to individual and small group investors, tend to be listed in the newspaper daily and typically charge higher fees. Let your employer know your preference.
- Optional features, such as participant loan programs and insurance benefits offered under variable annuity contracts, involve additional costs. Consider whether they have value to you. If not, let your employer know.
- Pension plans, such as 401(k) plans, are group plans. Therefore, your employer may not be able to accommodate each employee's preferences for investment alternatives or additional services.
6. Is there a checklist I can use to review my 401(k) plan's fees?
There are an array of investment options and services offered under today's 401(k) plans. While there is no easy way to calculate the fees and expenses paid by your 401(k) plan due to the number of variables involved, you can begin by asking yourself questions and, if you cannot find the answers, by asking your plan administrator. Answers to the following 10 questions will help in gathering information about the fees and expenses paid by your plan.
401(k) Fees Checklist
1. What investment options are offered under your company's 401(k) plan?
2. Do you have all available documentation about the investment choices under your plan and the fees charged to your plan?
3. What types of investment education are available under your plan?
4. What arrangement is used to provide services under your plan (i.e., are any or all of the services or investment alternatives provided by a single provider)?
5. Do you and other participants use most or all of the optional services offered under your 401(k) plan, such as participant loan programs and insurance coverages?
6. If administrative services are paid separately from investment management fees, are they paid for by the plan, your employer or are they shared?
7. Are the investment options tracking an established market index or is there a higher level of investment management services being provided?
8. Do any of the investment options under your plan include sales charges (such as loads or commissions)?
9. Do any of the investment options under your plan include any fees related to specific investments, such as 12b-1 fees, insurance charges or surrender fees, and what do they cover?
10. Does your plan offer any special funds or special classes of stock (generally sold to larger group investors)?
This booklet is only the beginning of your educational process. You should ask questions and educate yourself about investments. Monitoring your current investment selections and reviewing the investment alternatives offered under your plan are part of a process that you, as an informed participant, will need to undertake continually.
Keep in mind that the law requires the fees charged to a 401(k) plan be "reasonable" rather than setting a specific level of fees that are permissible. Therefore, the reasonableness of fees must be determined in each case.
For additional information regarding the level of fees typically charged to 401(k) plans and 401(k) plan fees and expenses generally, see the Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration's
Study of 401(k) Plan Fees and Expenses, available on PWBA's website at
http://www.dol.gov/dol/pwba
In Conclusion ...
When you consider the fees in your 401(k) plan and their impact on your retirement income, remember that
all services have costs. If your employer has selected a bundled program of services and investments,
compare all services received with the total cost.
Remember, too, that higher investment management fees do not necessarily mean better performance. Nor is cheaper necessarily better.
Compare the net returns relative to the risks among available investment options.
And, finally,
don't consider fees in a vacuum. They are only one part of the bigger picture including investment risk and returns and the extent and quality of services provided.
7. What other sources of information are available?
Listed below are some organizations and their Websites, phone numbers and publications that can help in your research.
From the
Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration:
Protect Your Pension: A Quick Reference Guide
What You Should Know About Your Pension Rights
Website:
Among the items available on PWBA's Website is
Study of 401(k) Plan Fees and Expenses (available only on the Internet)
http://www.dol.gov/dol/pwba
From the
Securities and Exchange Commission:
What Every Investor Should Know
Invest Wisely - An Introduction to Mutual Funds
Ask Questions - Questions You Should Ask About Your Investments ... and What To Do if You Run into Problems
Website:
http://www.sec.gov
From the
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System:
Website:
http://www.bog.frb.fed.us
From the
Comptroller of the Currency:
Website:
http://www.occ.ustreas.gov/investmt.htm
From the
American Savings Education Council (ASEC):
Website:
http://www.asec.org
Links
From the
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards:
Website:
http://www.cfp-board.org
From the
National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.:
Website:
http://www.investor.NASD.com
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