PGEMX Fees and Costs — George Putnam Balanced Fund, Class M
Data updated: 2026-10-13
The net expense ratio is 1.36% (1.66% before fee waivers). This share class carries a maximum front-end sales load of 3.50%. In fiscal 2026 the fund paid $404K in broker commissions, 0.0175% of average net assets, and portfolio turnover was 97%.
PGEMX Fees and Expenses
Annual operating expenses and sales charges of PGEMX. Prospectus, as of July 31, 2025.
| Annual operating expenses | |
|---|---|
| Management fee | 0.49% |
| 12b-1 fee | 0.75% |
| Other expenses | 0.13% |
| Gross expense ratio | 1.66% |
| Fee waiver | −0.30% |
| Net expense ratio | 1.36% |
| Sales charges | |
|---|---|
| Max front load | 3.50% |
| Max deferred load | 0.00% |
| Redemption fee | — |
PGEMX Costs Over Time
On $10,000 invested in PGEMX, assuming 5% a year before costs, total costs come to $1,272 over 5 years, cutting the return by 2.18% 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 | $350 | $350 | $350 |
| Fund expenses (net expense ratio 1.36%) | $138 | $428 | $740 |
| Trading costs (broker commissions) | $2 | $6 | $10 |
| Lost growth on money paid in costs | $18 | $77 | $173 |
| Total costs | $507 | $860 | $1,272 |
| Value after costs | $9,993 | $10,716 | $11,491 |
| Impact on return, per year | 5.07% | 2.67% | 2.18% |
PGEMX Trading Costs
Brokerage costs reported on SEC Form N-CEN for the fiscal year ending July 31, 2026.
- Explicit cost rate (commissions ÷ average net assets): 0.0175%
- Total broker commissions: $404K
- Bought from dealers (principal trades, not a cost): $4.1B
- Portfolio turnover (prospectus): 97%
PGEMX Agency Brokers
Commissions paid.
| Broker | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|
| RBC Capital Markets, LLC | $84K | 24.65% |
| UBS Securities LLC | $77K | 22.82% |
| Citigroup Global Markets Inc. | $66K | 19.30% |
| Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc. | $25K | 7.29% |
| Piper Sandler & Co. | $24K | 7.03% |
| J.P. Morgan Securities LLC | $17K | 5.13% |
| Mizuho Securities USA LLC | $15K | 4.34% |
| Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC | $12K | 3.62% |
| Evercore Group L.L.C. | $12K | 3.55% |
| TD SECURITIES (USA) LLC | $8K | 2.26% |
PGEMX Dealer Counterparties
Securities bought directly from dealers (principal trades).
| Broker | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|
| J.P. Morgan Securities LLC | $965.8M | 24.51% |
| Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC | $841.6M | 21.36% |
| Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC | $634.7M | 16.11% |
| Citigroup Global Markets Inc. | $392.9M | 9.97% |
| Citadel Securities LLC | $368.9M | 9.36% |
| BofA Securities, Inc. | $309.1M | 7.85% |
| Wells Fargo Securities, LLC | $194.5M | 4.94% |
| Bank of Montreal | $115.6M | 2.93% |
| MUFG Securities Americas Inc. | $59.7M | 1.51% |
| Mizuho Securities USA LLC | $57.1M | 1.45% |
George Putnam Balanced Fund Share Classes
Net expense ratio and maximum front-end load of each share class, cheapest first.
| Ticker | Class | Net expense ratio | Front load |
|---|---|---|---|
| C000136855 | Class R6 | 0.56% | none |
| PGEYX | Class Y | 0.61% | none |
| C000136854 | Class R5 | 0.66% | none |
| PGEOX | Class A | 0.86% | 5.75% |
| PGPRX | Class R | 1.12% | none |
| PGEMX | Class M | 1.36% | 3.50% |
| PGPCX | Class C | 1.61% | none |
| PGEBX | Class B | 1.71% | 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.