FUND\ NAV\ NET CHG\ YTD % RET\ MinT p 15.32 -0.05 2.5\ TmRE r 18.77 0.05 5.4\ PFIN 27.81 0.19 7.9\ TopLA 45.21 0.28 9.0\ DARNELL: After some research, Ive narrowed it down to these four funds, but can you explain to me the relationship between 12b-1 fees and fund performance?\ ELEANOR: Generally, funds that charge 12b-1 fees, such as MinT p, outperform funds that do not charge these fees.\ DARNELL: What about front-end load fees? For example, suppose TopLA has a front-end load fee of 6%, when do I pay this fee?\ ELEANOR: If you purchase 100 shares of this fund at the NAV, you will pay a commission of \ $\ , but when you sell these shares you will pay\ $\ in front-end fees.\ DARNELL: It sounds like these fees could start to add up. Whats the most I can expect to pay in fees?\ ELEANOR: If a fund charges a 2% front-end load and a 3.5% 12b1 fee, then it can charge a maximum of only\ % in back-end load charges without violating the cap.\ DARNELL: Thanks! This was really helpful. So it sounds like youd recommend looking for funds whenever possible.