less than that of the A shares despite the fact that they represent holdings in the same portfolio. (The reported return on the shares does not reflect the impact of loads paid by the investor.) Class C shares do not impose back-end redemption fees, but they     1 The maximum 12b-1 charge for the sale of the fund is .75%. However, an additional service fee of .25% of the funds assets also is allowed for personal service and/or maintenance of shareholder accounts. I. Introduction 4. Mutual Funds and Other Investment Companies The McGraw−Hill Companies, 2001           CHAPTER 4 Mutual Funds and Other Investment Companies 113     impose 12b-1 fees higher than those in Class B, often as high as 1% annually. Other classes and combinations of fees are also marketed by mutual fund companies. For example, Merrill Lynch has introduced Class D shares of some of its funds, which include front-end loads and 12b-1 charges of .25%. Each investor must choose the best combination of fees. Obviously, pure no-load no-fee funds distributed directly by the mutual fund group are the cheapest alternative, and these will often make most sense for knowledgeable investors. However, many investors are willing to pay for financial advice, and the commissions paid to advisers who sell these funds are the most common form of payment. Alternatively, investors may choose to hire a fee-only financial manager who charges directly for services and does not accept com- missions. These advisers can help investors select portfolios of low- or no-load funds (as well as provide other financial advice). Independent financial planners have become in- creasingly important distribution channels for funds in recent years. If you do buy a fund through a broker, the choice between paying a load and paying 12b-1 fees will depend primarily on your expected time horizon. Loads are paid only once for each purchase, whereas 12b-1 fees are paid annually. Thus if you plan to hold your fund for a long time, a one-time load may be preferable to recurring 12b-1 charges. You can identify funds with various charges by the following letters placed after the fund name in the listing of mutual funds in the financial pages: r denotes redemption or exit fees; p denotes 12b-1 fees; t denotes both redemption and 12b-1 fees. The listings do not allow you to identify funds that involve front-end loads, however; while NAV for each fund is presented, the offering price at which the fund can be purchased, which may include a load, is not.