These Funds Have Scary Fees

We don’t rate the priciest funds. It’s not likely worth the effort to tell you why you shouldn’t buy Nysa NYSAX and its 4.57% expense ratio or Midas Magic MISEX for 3.49%. (Side note: The SEC name rule requires Midas Magic to be at least 80% magic.) But there are some notable funds with fairly high fees. It’s a shame because these funds do have some appeal outside of their fees. A choosy investor can do better.

Eventide Gilead ETGLX

Until recently, this fund had been a really strong performer. But we gave it a Morningstar Analyst Rating of Neutral even before its recent tailspin in part because it charges an expense ratio of 1.35% and its high turnover rate likely means it racks up above-average trading costs. Manager Finny Kuruvilla also faces the challenge of managing a much larger fund than he had been running. The fund has had inflows of $1.1 billion over the past 12 months through September, which drove assets up to $1.8 billion. The strategy combines Christian screens and an aggressive-growth strategy. It will be interesting to see whether the fund’s success is sustainable, but its fees will make that a real challenge.

Gabelli Asset GABAX If only you could tap Mario Gabelli the portfolio manager without having to pay Mario Gabelli the CEO. Gabelli is a good investor who focuses on cash flow and stable franchises, but he's one of the highest-paid CEOs in the fund industry despite running a small firm. That big paycheck requires high fees--to the tune of 1.35% here. This unrated fund also has quite a bit of key-man risk--there could be a big drop in talent should the manager step aside.

Marsico Growth MGRIX

Is Tom Marsico worth paying a premium? No. He has a strong 30-year record, but it’s been a long time since he consistently outperformed. The fund charges 1.37%--that's 45 basis points above the no-load large-cap median, and more than double

Thornburg Value TVAFX

This fund is on the rebound after a disastrous stretch. However, poor performance led to a big exodus, which in turn led to higher costs. The fund charges 1.37%, which is pricey for a large-cap fund. The fund has had quite a bit of manager turnover--two have left in the past five years, and Rob MacDonald just joined Connor Browne in February 2015. Browne is fairly seasoned, but this is more or less MacDonald’s first go at management outside of a short stint at another fund. It’s nice to see the fund outperform nearly all of its peers this year thanks to

Royce Micro-Cap RYOTX

This fund charges 1.48%--that’s high for a small-blend fund, though not as extreme when compared with others that focus on micro-caps. Micro-caps don’t cost more to research, but funds that focus on them generally have to close at a lower asset level than other small-cap funds, so there are less economies of scale to share. We don’t rate the fund, but its poor five- and 10-year records don’t make it a compelling option. Its returns lag