The Ongoing Charges Figure (OCF) shows the drag on performance caused by operational expenses associated with a fund.

Expenses which are represented by this figure include payments to the manager, the trustee the custodian and their representatives. The figure also includes registration, regulatory, audit and legal fees, and the costs of distribution.

Performance fees, transaction costs, interest on borrowing, costs associated with derivatives, entry and exit fees and soft commissions are not included in the OCF calculation, and should be factored in separately by the investor.

The OCF is calculated by taking the sum of these expenses incurred in the last 12 months and dividing this by the average net assets of that class for the last 12 months.

Total Expense Ratio (TER) is a formula designed to show the ongoing costs to the investor associated with a fund, including some charges which are not factored into the annual management fee. In addition the fund’s annual fee, charges such as trading fees, audit and legal fees, and operational expenses are included in the TER, which is worked out by dividing the total cost of the fund by its total assets to arrive at a percentage.

Unlike the Ongoing Charges Figure, the TER takes into account performance fees. It does not include transaction costs paid to the custodian.