The Securities and Exchange Commission is currently reviewing Rule 12b-1, which governs how fund advisors may pay for the distribution of fund shares. We provide evidence that even after adjusting for economies of scale, funds with 12b-1 fees have higher expense ratios net of the 12b-1 fees than...

We examine the effect of mutual fund fee structure on mutual fund exit mode and timing. The evidence presented herein is consistent with mutual fund sponsor or manager fee maximization, increased conflicts of interest for funds charging 12b-1 fees and higher management fees, and a pecking order...