We have looked to answer some of the most common questions asked when investing in mutual funds. If you have any specific questions send us an email and we would be pleased to help.

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Are all mutual funds eligible for my RRSP?

All mutual funds are 100% RRSP eligible if they are held in Canadian currency. The rules once stated only 30% of your RRSP could be in foreign securities, however all foreign funds (commonly known as global or international funds) are eligible mutual funds that can be invested in your RRSP.

What is a MER?

A MER is a Management Expense Ratio that tells you roughly how much you are paying in management fees and expenses each year. It includes most of the fees and expenses and is expressed as a percentage of the fund's total value.

How do you calculate the value of each unit?

To calculate the value of a fund unit (or the net asset value per share NAVPS) the fund portfolio's total value for each day is divided by the total units the fund has issued.

Are there costs when buying a mutual fund?

Generally, there are two types of sales charges. The first, often called an initial sales charge or front end fee, is where you would pay a percentage of the purchase amount when you buy your mutual fund units. Typically the fees range from 0% to 5% of the purchase amount.

The second type is where you can choose to wait until you sell your mutual fund units and pay a percentage of the redeemed value at the time you sell; we call this a deferred sales charge. When choosing this option, you want to be sure to hold your mutual fund units for at least six to seven years, otherwise you face a sales charge upon redeeming your mutual fund units.

If you redeem during the first six/seven year time frame, the deferred sales charge fee is calculated on a sliding scale, declining each year that you hold the investment (Example, 5.0% 1st year, 4.5% 2nd year, declining to 0% after year six).