You just have to know what to look for. One point we would make from the top, however, is that index funds are by nature the lowest-cost funds because of their lack of active management. As you'll see, they're also the most tax efficient. If your goal is to get into the market as cheaply and simply as possible, index funds are probably the way to go. Loads Mutual fund people talk a lot about load funds and no-load funds.
Loads work two ways.
You pay them either upon buying your shares or selling them, depending on the fund. These deferred fees are essentially a tactic to keep you invested in the fund for the long term. After that, the percentage declines each year until it disappears altogether after about six years. The obvious problem with a load is that it immediately trims your investment return. That might be acceptable if you believe the fund will post such superior returns that the load will pay for itself over time.