Beware of Hidden Fund Costs

Over the last few years, investors have become more aware of the importance of mutual fund fees such as expense ratios, marketing fees and sales commissions. That's definitely a good thing.

But there are other kinds of costs, such as trading and taxes, that are much harder to spot and can significantly eat into returns -- enough so that you may have to put off retirement for several years.

"Even small costs can make a very significant difference over time," says Thomas McGuigan, a principal in the Old Lyme, Conn., office of Burns Advisory Group, which manages over $300 million in assets. ...