The percentage of an investor's initial cash or capital outlay that actually goes toward the final investment. This amount is net of any fees that may be incurred upon initial investment and is effectively the amount that is exposed to the investment.



For example, if a mutual fund carries a 4% front-end load, only 96% of an investor's initial investment will actually be placed into the fund itself, with the rest going to the investment company. The higher the fees, the lower the overall allocation rate will be for the investor.

Management companies, pension managers and the like all charge some percentage fee for their services. More choices usually means higher allocation rates for investors, but buyers must always beware of exorbitantly high load fees or upfront costs for any investment. Stock and bond index funds remain one of, if not the highest, allocation rate vehicles available to investors who do not wish to actively manage their own portfolios.