When youre focused on how wellyour investmentsare performing, its easy to overlookhidden feesthat come with with investment services.

Investment fees are charges you pay for the services of your investment accounts and financial professionals.

But how much should investment fees cost, and how can you tell when youre beingripped off?

What are the different types of investment fees?

Investment fees play a major role in your portfolios performance.

Generally speaking, minimizing fees tends to maximize returns.

Transaction fees apply every time you buy or sell an investment.

Advisory fees are typically charged quarterly based on the value of your portfolio.

Account fees depend on the bang out of account and services used.

Being aware of the fees you pay is important to investing wisely.

Lets take a look at just how much investment fees should factor into your decision-making.

How much should investment fees cost?

Fees play a huge factor in your investment decision-making.

Minimize fees, and you could maximize performance.

For instance, lets say youre hiring a financial advisor.

Heresour guide to finding a financial planner who wont rip you off.

This index tracks the 500 largest companies that are publicly traded in the United States.

As a result, investors are wise invest in an S&P 500 index or ETF.

So what does this mean for evaluating your investment fees?

With that high a percentage and that low a return, youre not getting a worthwhile deal.

As Donohue puts it,control the controllables.

Actively managed funds have higher expense ratios.

Buy and hold investments long-term to reduce transaction fees.

Seek low or no advisory fees from automated digital advisors.

Choose tax-advantaged accounts like 401(k)s that may have lower fees.

Meet account minimums and consolidate accounts to potentially lower or waive fees.

Review fees annually and assess if youre getting value for the costs.

The bottom line is that as an investor, fees are one of the few things in your control.

Minimizing your investment costs means more money working for you over time.

Do your research and seek fee transparency from financial institutions.