There are over 8,000 mutual funds, and, while I want to pick the ones with the most accomplished managers who are in the best shape to manage my money, I also want to avoid the ones loaded down with a pile of rocks. Those rocks, in this case, are the hidden costs of owning a mutual fund. A load, in mutual fund terms, is a sales commission. It's the piece that is paid to your broker for selling you a particular fund. And while, I'm sure, you don't mind paying for advice on investment selection, few people understand exactly what they're paying or how they're paying it.
Different funds pay different commissions.
You'll never know unless you read the prospectus or ask your broker directly. If a fund has any of these fees, it is not a true no-load. True no-loads pay no commission. Front-end loads take the commission from the money at, guess what, the front end. You get fewer shares than if you purchased the same fund on a no-load basis.