12B-1 Fund

Dictionary Says

Definition of '12B-1 Fund'

A type of mutual fund that charges its holders 12B-1 fees instead of up-front or back-end commissions. 12B-1 funds take a portion of assets held and use them to pay expense fees and distribution costs. These costs are included in the fund's expense ratio and are described in the prospectus.
Investopedia Says

Investopedia explains '12B-1 Fund'

The name 12B-1 comes from the Investment Company Act of 1940's Rule 12B-1, which allows fund companies to act as distributors of their own shares. Rule 12B-1 further states that a mutual fund's own assets can be used to pay distribution charges. Originally, the rule was intended to pay advertising and marketing expenses; today, however, a very small percentage of the fee actually goes toward these costs.

Related Definitions

  • 12B-1 Plan

    A no-load mutual fund that is allowed to use fund assets to pay for its distribution costs. The 12B-1 plan mutual fund is an alternative to paying the sales fees encountered in loaded ...
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  • 12B-1 Fee

    An annual marketing or distribution fee on a mutual fund. The 12b-1 fee is considered an operational expense and, as such, is included in a fund's expense ratio. It is generally between ...
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  • Back-End Load

    A fee (sales charge or load) that investors pay when selling mutual fund shares within a specified number of years, usually five to 10 years. The fee amounts to a percentage of the value ...
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    • Front-End Load

      A commission or sales charge applied at the time of the initial purchase for an investment, usually mutual funds and insurance policies. It is deducted from the investment amount and, as ...
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    • No-Load Fund

      A mutual fund in which shares are sold without a commission or sales charge. The reason for this is that the shares are distributed directly by the investment company, instead of going ...
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    • Mutual Fund

      An investment vehicle that is made up of a pool of funds collected from many investors for the purpose of investing in securities such as stocks, bonds, money market instruments and ...
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