June 20, 2007
I am writing to express my concerns about the SEC's ongoing review of Rule 12b-1. My business would be irreparably damaged if the 12b-1 fee is abolished.
My clients typically purchase mutual funds from a particular fund family and hold them for decades. The 12b-1 fee represents the only source of compensation for a financial advisor to provide continued service to a client.
I feel that the 12b-1 fee should be clearly recharacterized in a mutual fund prospectus as a trailing commission, instead of being called a distribution fee. But abolishing the fee would be disastrous for responsible financial advisors like myself, who provide years of valuable, ongoing service to clients after their initial purchase.
Mr. Gilbert Armour
Financial Advisor
AIG Financial Advisors