15 most hated fees
Stand up to the pesky charges -- from checked-bag costs to retirement plan expenses -- that bug you the most.
12. Paying the price when a fund balance dips
What it costs: $
What you're mad about: Most mutual fund companies will charge you if your balance in any single fund dips below a certain minimum, anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000. The bite: $10 to $20 per fund per year. Paying one of these fees got reader Denise Henderson worked up: "I never took money out of that fund, so the only reasons my balance went below the threshold were general market conditions and their management!"
How to fight back: Ask the fund company if there are ways around this charge. At Vanguard, for example, if you agree to sign up for electronic statements, the firm will waive its $20 fee on each fund whose balance dips below $10,000. And some fund companies refrain from charging customers who have sizable accounts. "These fees are an argument for consolidating your investments in a single firm rather than having a lot of little ones," says Christine Benz, director of personal finance for Morningstar.
NEXT: Giving your cash away at the ATM
What you're mad about: Most mutual fund companies will charge you if your balance in any single fund dips below a certain minimum, anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000. The bite: $10 to $20 per fund per year. Paying one of these fees got reader Denise Henderson worked up: "I never took money out of that fund, so the only reasons my balance went below the threshold were general market conditions and their management!"
How to fight back: Ask the fund company if there are ways around this charge. At Vanguard, for example, if you agree to sign up for electronic statements, the firm will waive its $20 fee on each fund whose balance dips below $10,000. And some fund companies refrain from charging customers who have sizable accounts. "These fees are an argument for consolidating your investments in a single firm rather than having a lot of little ones," says Christine Benz, director of personal finance for Morningstar.
NEXT: Giving your cash away at the ATM
Last updated June 11 2010: 3:40 PM ET
