The NASD, the SRO of the U.S. securities industry, is proposing to require disclosure of mutual fund expenses in advertisements and other sales material that promotes the fund’s performance.

The proposals are designed to improve investor awareness of mutual fund costs, facilitate comparisons among funds and make standardized performance more prominent, it says.

NASD’s proposal would require that all fund advertisements, sales material and correspondence that includes performance information include a prominent text box that sets forth the fund’s: standardized performance information (i.e., 1, 5 and 10-year returns); maximum sales charge; and, annual expense ratio. The proposal would require that the standardized information in the text box be presented in at least as large type size as the non-standardized performance.

“Mutual fund fees and expenses affect an investor’s return. When a mutual fund promotes its performance, it needs to give a balanced picture by disclosing fees and expenses,” said Robert Glauber, chairman and CEO of NASD, in a news release. “With the balanced information mandated under our proposal, investors have a better chance to make the right mutual fund purchase decision.

NASD’s heightened scrutiny in the area of mutual funds and variable annuities has resulted in over 200 disciplinary actions since the beginning of 2001. Most recently, NASD proposed better disclosure of compensation paid to members for the sale of mutual fund shares. In July, the Report of the Joint NASD/Industry Task Force on Breakpoints recommended a number of reforms to ensure that investors purchasing mutual fund shares with front-end loads receive the discounts to which they are entitled.

NASD says it intends to request public comment on the proposal.