Account maintenance fees sometimes called inactivity fees or administration fees, cover the costs incurred by the broker to maintain an open account. Few clients pay these fees, as they are typically only charged to investors who are inactive and have low account values. Indeed, this is because investors who make a certain number of transactions per year or per quarter, or maintain a minimum balance in their account, are generally exempt from paying these fees. To check if you should pay such fees with our comparison tool, click on 'More details' and check the information on the 'Account maintenance' line.