It’s been said that mutual fund loads reduce your investment principal, limit your flexibility and gobble up your profits. Let’s take a look at what exactly is a load.

The term itself is rather daunting but to simply break it down, a load is really just a sales commission paid to a financial adviser or broker who assists you in making decisions and how to invest your money.

Roughly half the available mutual funds are either “load” or “low load”. They can’t be all that bad if that many are out there.

Mutual fund loads are just one portion of the total investing picture. A smart investor should consider all costs of an equity offering, including the various types of loads, management fees and trading costs, as well as all potential returns, before making a decision.

It’s always wise to discuss these important choices with a professional financial advisor.