How long until investors become aware of charge increases?

As equity returns are coming down fund groups seem engaged in putting up charges, a trend that is go...

As equity returns are coming down fund groups seem engaged in putting up charges, a trend that is going to do the industry no good in the long run. The latest perpetrator is Merrill Lynch which has bumped up the annual fee on its popular Gold & General fund from 1.5% to 1.75%. Other groups have raised their annual fees from 1.25% to 1.5% on their retail share classes but have made no changes to the institutional shares classes or the fees paid by fund of funds. The move by Merrills, the group argues, is to cover the cost of distribution, for which read the 0.25% it is shelling out to fun...