The data describes the maximum front-end sales load incurred by mutual fund investors in the U.S. from 1990 to 2016, by fund type. The maximum front-end sales load charged by equity funds amounted to 5.4% of the invested assets in the U.S. in 2016. The maximum front-end sales loads are specified in the fund prospectus and indicate the highest entry fee that mutual funds can charge the investors. In reality the load values depend on a number of conditions and vary across fund management companies. The actual front-end sales loads paid by the investors were much lower than the fees defined in the fund prospectus.
