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Lesson 4

Understanding Fees — and Why They Matter Even More Near Retirement

2 min lesson
Last Updated: July 30, 2026

Every investment option in your 403(b) has a cost attached to it, even if no one has ever pointed that out to you.

Expense ratios — Every mutual fund charges an annual fee to cover its operating costs. This fee is expressed as a percentage of your balance. For example, a 0.10% expense ratio on a $100,000 account costs you $100 a year. A 1.00% ratio on that same account costs you $1,000 a year, automatically deducted from your returns whether the market goes up or down.

Annuity fees — Annuities tend to carry more fees than mutual funds, and they are not always easy to find. These can include administrative fees, insurance-related charges, and surrender charges — penalties you pay if you want to move your money out before a set number of years have passed.

Recordkeeping fees — Separate from the investment fees, your plan's administrator may also charge fees just to maintain your account. These are sometimes listed as account maintenance or recordkeeping fees.

A difference of even 0.5% in annual fees may not sound like much, but over 10 or 15 years it adds up to a meaningful amount of money, potentially tens of thousands of dollars less in your account by the time you need it.¹

A good place to start is asking your plan contact these questions:

  • What is the total annual cost for each investment option I am in?

  • Are there any penalties if I want to move my money to a different option or roll it over?

  • Are you receiving any compensation for recommending this product to me?

This information is available to you — check your plan statement or reach out for help finding it.


SOURCES

  1. "Updated Investor Bulletin: Retirement Investing Through 403(b) and 457(b) Plans." U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission / Investor.gov. investor.gov/introduction-investing/general-resources/news-alerts/alerts-bulletins/investor-bulletins/investor-8. Accessed July 2026.