Acquire the fund’s list of services. Get a brochure that shows the fees that a fund charges; this helps you decide on the suitable fund. Ask for this listing from the fund management company. You can get this list by mail from the company or download it from the company’s website.
Find out the technique the company uses to calculate its management fee. Seek to know what the company’s management fee entails; find out if the management fee includes administration charges and if it is listed separately. The technique used to calculate the fee is well explained under the "management fee" or "annual fee" heading. The management fee is charged to pay the fund manager, while the administrative fee is charged on activities like mailing services which are not listed under other expense sections.
Add up all charges needed under the management fee. Some funds charge a management fee only, while others add administrative fees that are not included in other expense sections. Find out if the fund charges the fee based on the asset’s size or charges a fixed fee regardless.
Calculate the management fee by multiplying the percent times total assets. The standard percentage management fee charged ranges from 0.5 percent to 2 percent per annum. For example, if the fund has $1 million in assets and the fee charged is 2 percent, then $20,000 goes toward your fund management.
Read and understand the different ways used to calculate management fees in different types of funds. The techniques used to calculate the fee vary from one fund to another. In a hedge fund, if the management fee is 2 percent it is calculated on the net asset worth of the fund. In private equity funds the management fee is initially calculated on the investor's fund size during the commitment period which ranges from four to six years. The technique for calculating the fee then changes to the cost incurred by the fund less investments made.
Find out the fee charging schedule. The management fee is mostly charged on an annual basis, but can also be calculated and submitted monthly or quarterly depending on the management company.