FEES

Lowell, Blake & Associates is an Independant Investment Advisor and has always been a fee-based advisory firm. We counsel our clients for a fixed, flat fee, rather then charging clients a fee as a percentage of their assets under our management. The fee is established in advance of services provided and paid in advance on a quarterly basis. Clients are not required to sign a formal contract and may cancel services at any time without penalty.

When seeking investment advise, whether from a Stock Broker, Insurance Broker, or Mutual Fund , the investor needs to know how the advisor fees are calculated.

FEE QUESTIONS TO ASK STOCK BROKERS AND INSURANCE AGENTS

What are the management fees?
What are the custody fees?
What is the commission schedule on all purchases and sales?

Is the broker a Principal? (prefers to sell bonds and stocks from their existing
inventory)
Is the broker an Agent? (purchases bonds and stocks on the open market)?
Does the broker use Soft-Dollar Fees? (a means of paying brokerage firms for their
services through commission’s revenue rather than through cash payments)?

FEE QUESTIONS FOR MUTUAL FUNDS

What is the Expense Ratio? (operating costs, including management fees,
shown as a percentage of the fund’s average net assets for a given
time period)
Is there a Front Load? (a fee charged at the time of the initial purchase)
Is there a Back-End Load? (a fee an investor pays when selling a mutual fund
within a certain number of years, usually seven)

SUMMARY

There are many agents one can choose to advise on how to invest one's money. All advice and products come with a fee, and its up to you to be aware of the way the chosen investment method generates fees for the adviser.