MSFRX Fees and Costs — MFS Total Return Fund, Class A
Data updated: 2026-08-25
The net expense ratio is 0.72%: a 0.35% management fee, a 0.25% 12b-1 fee plus 0.12% other expenses. This share class carries a maximum front-end sales load of 5.75% and a deferred sales charge of up to 1.00%. In fiscal 2025 the fund paid $504K in broker commissions, 0.0065% of average net assets, and portfolio turnover was 41%.
MSFRX Fees and Expenses
Annual operating expenses and sales charges of MSFRX. Prospectus, as of September 30, 2025.
| Annual operating expenses | |
|---|---|
| Management fee | 0.35% |
| 12b-1 fee | 0.25% |
| Other expenses | 0.12% |
| Gross expense ratio | 0.72% |
| Fee waiver | — |
| Net expense ratio | 0.72% |
| Sales charges | |
|---|---|
| Max front load | 5.75% |
| Max deferred load | 1.00% |
| Redemption fee | — |
| Expense limitation in place (N-CEN) | Yes |
| Fees waived or reduced during the year | Yes |
| Waived fees subject to recoupment | No |
MSFRX Costs Over Time
On $10,000 invested in MSFRX, assuming 5% a year before costs, total costs come to $1,165 over 5 years, cutting the return by 1.99% a year. Illustration, not a forecast: it assumes today's net expense ratio throughout (a fee waiver may end).
| $10,000 invested | Sell after 1 year | Sell after 3 years | Sell after 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value before costs | $10,500 | $11,576 | $12,763 |
| Sales charges | $673 | $575 | $575 |
| Fund expenses (net expense ratio 0.72%) | $71 | $223 | $388 |
| Trading costs (broker commissions) | $1 | $2 | $4 |
| Lost growth on money paid in costs | $29 | $102 | $198 |
| Total costs | $774 | $902 | $1,165 |
| Value after costs | $9,726 | $10,675 | $11,598 |
| Impact on return, per year | 7.74% | 2.80% | 1.99% |
MSFRX Trading Costs
Brokerage costs reported on SEC Form N-CEN for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025.
- Explicit cost rate (commissions ÷ average net assets): 0.0065%
- Total broker commissions: $504K
- Bought from dealers (principal trades, not a cost): $4.3B
- Portfolio turnover (prospectus): 41%
- Securities on loan, average value: $7.9M
- Net income from securities lending: $47K (0.001% of average net assets)
MSFRX Agency Brokers
Commissions paid.
| Broker | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|
| J.P. Morgan Securities LLC | $95K | 22.20% |
| Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc. | $76K | 17.76% |
| Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC | $70K | 16.35% |
| Jefferies LLC | $36K | 8.49% |
| Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC | $35K | 8.22% |
| BMO Capital Markets Corp. | $31K | 7.33% |
| UBS Securities LLC | $31K | 7.13% |
| BofA Securities, Inc. | $22K | 5.05% |
| Citigroup Global Markets Inc. | $18K | 4.14% |
| RBC Capital Markets, LLC | $14K | 3.34% |
MSFRX Dealer Counterparties
Securities bought directly from dealers (principal trades).
| Broker | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|
| BofA Securities, Inc. | $1.2B | 29.34% |
| Wells Fargo Securities, LLC | $675.8M | 16.90% |
| Mizuho Securities USA LLC | $670.8M | 16.78% |
| Citigroup Global Markets Inc. | $504.6M | 12.62% |
| Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC | $377.2M | 9.43% |
| J.P. Morgan Securities LLC | $295.2M | 7.38% |
| Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC | $106.8M | 2.67% |
| Citadel Securities LLC | $71.1M | 1.78% |
| Natwest Markets Securities Inc. | $70.5M | 1.76% |
| Barclays Capital, Inc. | $53.1M | 1.33% |
MFS Total Return Fund Share Classes
Net expense ratio and maximum front-end load of each share class, cheapest first.
| Ticker | Class | Net expense ratio | Front load |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSFKX | Class R6 | 0.40% | none |
| MSFJX | Class R4 | 0.47% | none |
| MTRIX | Class I | 0.47% | none |
| MSFHX | Class R3 | 0.72% | none |
| MSFRX | Class A | 0.72% | 5.75% |
| MTRRX | Class R2 | 0.97% | none |
| MSFFX | Class R1 | 1.47% | none |
| MTRBX | Class B | 1.47% | none |
| MTRCX | Class C | 1.47% | none |
For information only. Not investment advice: figures are as reported in SEC filings and may contain errors or be out of date. Past performance does not guarantee future results.