A Look at 401(k) Plan Fees: Common Investments and Related Fees—Part 2
Collective Investment Funds
A collective investment fund is a trust fund managed by a bank or trust company that pools investments of 401(k) plans and other similar investors. Each investor has a proportionate interest in the trust fund assets. For example, if a collective investment fund holds $10 million in assets and your investment in the fund is $10,000, you have a 0.1% interest in the fund. Like mutual funds, collective investment funds may have different investment objectives. There are investment management and administrative fees associated with a collective investment fund.
Variable Annuities
Insurance companies frequently offer a range of investment options for 401(k) plans through a group variable annuity contract between an insurance company and an employer on behalf of a plan. The variable annuity contract wraps around investment options, often a number of mutual funds. Participants select from among the investment options offered, and the returns to their individual accounts vary with their choice of investments. Variable annuities also include one or more insurance elements, which are not present in other investment options. Generally, these elements include an annuity feature, interest and expense guarantees, and any death benefit provided during the term of the contract. In addition to investment management fees and administration fees, you may find these fees:
- Insurance-related charges are associated with investment options that include an insurance component. They include items such as sales expenses, mortality risk charges, and the cost of issuing and administering contracts.
- Surrender and transfer charges are fees an insurance company may charge when an employer terminates a contract (in other words, withdraws the plan's investment) before the term of the contract expires or if you withdraw an amount from the contract. This fee may be imposed if these events occur before the expiration of a stated period, and commonly decrease and disappear over time. It is similar to an early withdrawal penalty on a bank certificate of deposit or to a back-end load or redemption fee charged by some mutual funds.
Stable Value Funds
A stable value fund is a common investment option that generally includes fixed income securities and one or more contracts issued by banks or insurance companies that provide protection of contributions invested (the principal) and accumulated interest, as well as a rate of return that may be fixed, linked to an index, or reset periodically based on the performance of the fund's investments. These funds may have investment management and other administrative fees associated with their operation.
U.S. Department of Labor. (n.d.). A look at 401(k) plan fees. Retrieved October 19, 2016, from http://www.usa.gov/