Guideline charges all 401(k) participants an annual account fee based on assets under management.* The annual account fee charged to you is typically between 0.08% and 0.35%, depending on the pricing plan chosen by your employer.
You can learn more about how your account fee is calculated here.
Additionally, the mutual funds available within your Guideline portfolio also charge fees, known as an expense ratio, which is expressed as a percentage of fund assets. The expense ratio is not charged by Guideline, but instead by the manager that operates the fund.
Guideline carefully selects no-load mutual funds that are passively managed in an effort to offer low management fees while delivering quality investment management. Guideline’s custom portfolios have an expense ratio of 0.04-0.16% (or up to just $16 annually for every $10,000 invested). Our managed portfolios have blended expense ratios ranging from 0.064% to 0.067% of assets under management.**
Expense ratios are automatically withdrawn from your investments, so you will not see a transaction in your account for these charges. The expense ratio is disclosed in each fund’s prospectus and can also be found in our fund lineup here.
Fees you can expect if you leave your employer
Following termination of employment you will be charged a $4 monthly fee after an initial 90-day grace period, or after the end of the blackout period if your 401(k) plan was recently transferred to Guideline. This cost is in addition to the standard annual account fee and fund expense ratios associated with your account.
To learn more about fees with Guideline, including other fees that may apply, such as charges by third-party advisors, please see Guideline’s ADV 2A Brochure here.
* The annual account fee applied to assets under management is calculated and deducted on a monthly basis at 1/12 of the annual stated rate based on the account balance on the last day of each month.
** Guideline’s managed portfolios have blended expense ratios ranging from 0.064% to 0.067% of assets under management. Expense ratios for custom portfolios will vary. These expense ratios are subject to change by and paid to the fund(s). View full fund lineup here.