Simple Steps to Save on Investment Fees
Some of the costs associated with saving and investing are patently obvious, but there are others that can be quite well hidden.


It’s the new year, and holiday indulgences weigh heavily on us. Do you feel the urge to shed the excess? No, not pounds and inches. Instead, let’s shed the unnecessary investment costs that hurt your long-term financial success.
Costs are one of the few things you can control about your investments. As Vanguard says, “The lower your costs, the greater your share of an investment’s return.” Furthermore, mutual-fund-research powerhouse Morningstar shows that “firms with low fees have a higher likelihood of above-average performance.”
What Costs Are There?
Is there just one cost to reduce? Silly you. Of course there’s not. There are many ways to take your money!

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Meg Bartelt, CFP®, MSFP, is the president of Flow Financial Planning, LLC, a fee-only virtual firm that provides financial guidance to women in tech. She is a member of the XY Planning Network.
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