In this video from The Motley Fool's "Ask a Fool" series, Fool analyst Matt Argersinger takes a question from a Fool reader who asks, "How can I understand the effect of maximum sales charges and expense ratios when determining which mutual fund is best? I tend to get seduced by the 1-, 3-, and 5-year total return percentages, and 'forget' that these funds also COST something to be in."
How large of an impact do your mutual fund's fees and expense ratio have on your long-term returns?
About the Author
Matthew Argersinger is a Senior Investment Analyst and Lead Advisor at The Motley Fool and has been with the company since 2008. Matt serves as lead advisor for two premium investing services, Dividend Investor and Ultimate Income, and contributes as an equity analyst to the Supernova service. He specializes in real estate and dividend investing and looking for today’s best income opportunities. Prior to joining The Motley Fool, Matt was an economist at the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. He holds a B.A. in Economics and an M.A. in International Economics and Finance from Brandeis University.