March 10, 2011
Dear Mr. Fagel -
As a Retail Investor and of the belief that the SEC is keeping a watchful eye on the public interest, please see attached article as reported in Kiplingers Magazine. The brokerage firms make significant profit by charging fund companies to be on various "lists" which affect the costs of investing those same funds for everyone (as the report indicates).
I believe the SEC is keeping a keen eye on B and C share class (due to their excess management fees) funds but has the SEC considered the effect of brokerage firms levying significant fees of the fund companies and how these policies increase the cost of investing for the entire public?
I thought the 12B-1 fee would be enough to compensate the various brokerage for their service but many firms are separately charging the fund companies an additional 40 bps (beyond what they receive already in 12B-1's).
I would like the SEC to examine this practice please.
With Highest Regards,
Frederick Van Den Abbeel
Copyrighted material redacted. Author cites Kinder, Kirk. "The Illusion of No Transaction Fee Funds." Swim Upstream to Wealth. 1 Sept. 2010. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. http://www.swimupstreamtowealth.com/2010/09/the-illusion-of-no-transaction-fee-funds/.