Final answer:
To calculate the rate of return on the fund, you need to consider the initial investment, front-end load, increase in value of the securities, and expense ratio. The final rate of return is 15.72%.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate your rate of return on the fund, you need to consider the initial investment, the front-end load, the increase in value of the securities, and the expense ratio.
Your initial investment is 2,000 shares * $12 per share = $24,000.
The front-end load is 4% of your initial investment, which is 0.04 * $24,000 = $960.
The increase in value of the securities is 12% of your initial investment, which is 0.12 * $24,000 = $2,880.
The expense ratio is 2.2% of the total asset value at the end of the year, which is 0.022 * ($24,000 + $2,880) = $571.68.
Your rate of return on the fund is calculated as: ($24,000 + $2,880 - $960 - $571.68) / $24,000 = 0.1572, or 15.72%.