Callie has a new client who wants to begin investing in mutual funds with the $5,000 she has pulled out of her savings account. The client has indicated she wants to set this money aside in a separate account so that her baby girl, now 2 years old, can have the “wedding of her dreams” when she grows up. Based on the information the client has provided, Callie believes the client would benefit most by purchasing shares of a certain fund that offers Class A, Class B, and Class C shares. Given these facts, Callie’s client is probably best off purchasing the shares of which class?
Explanation
Answer: B - If Callie’s client wants to have enough money for her 2-year-old daughter to have the wedding of her dreams and a suitable fund has been selected, Callie would probably be best off purchasing Class B shares of that fund. Class B shares have a deferred sales charge, but this sales charge goes away after so many years, and since Callie’s investment horizon is long-term, she should never have to pay this fee. If she buys the Class A shares, she will have to pay a front-end load when she buys the shares, thus reducing the total amount that she has invested. Class C shares tend to charge higher 12b-1 fees than Class A or Class B shares, which will reduce the annual return on Callie’s client’s investment. With Class B shares and a long-term investment, Callie can effectively avoid the “loads.” A Treasury STRIP investment will not return enough to provide Callie’s little girl with “the wedding of her dreams.”
