what is the gross expense ratio ger 
the gross expense ratio ger is the total percentage of a mutual fund s assets that are devoted to running the fund the gross expense ratio includes any fee waiver or expense reimbursement agreements that may be in effect however it does not include any sales or brokerage commissions that are not charged to the fund directly but which would be included in the net expense ratio sometimes referred to as the audited gross expense ratio data providers such as morningstar pull the annual gross expense ratio from the fund s audited annual report annual report expense ratios reflect the actual fees charged during a particular fiscal year while prospectus expense ratios reflect material changes to the expense structure for the current period 