Five Percent Rule

What Is the Five Percent Rule?

The five percent rule is a stipulation of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), which oversees brokers and brokerage firms in the U.S. Dating back to 1943, it stipulates that a broker shouldn’t charge commissions, markups, or markdowns of more than 5% on standard trades, both stock exchange listings and over-the-counter transactions, along with proceeds sales and riskless transactions.

Although also known as the FINRA 5% markup policy or 5% policy, the five percent rule is more of a guideline than an actual regulation. The aim is to require brokers to use fair and ethical practices when setting commission rates, so that that the prices investors pay are reasonably related to the market for the securities they buy.

How the Five Percent Rule Works

The five percent rule itself does not set forth any criterion for calculating commissions or fees. Instead, it indicates that the broker should follow guidelines. The rule is applied to various transactions, including the following:

The rule itself has several exceptions. For example, it does not apply to securities sold through a prospectus — such as in an initial public offering.

What Determines a Fair Commission?

If the five percent rule aims to establish a reasonable fee, it's natural to wonder: How do firms determine what's fair? Elements that are considered when determining what is fair and reasonable include:

It should be noted that each factor may contribute to a higher or lower commission than 5%; a large equity transaction that was simple to execute may be done so for far less than 5%, while a small, complicated transaction of a more lightly traded security could be far more than 5%.

Five Percent Rule Example

If a client wanted to buy 100 shares of Hypothetical Co. at $10 a share, the total value of that transaction would be $1,000. If the broker's minimum transaction cost was $100, the total fee would be 10% of the trade — far more than the five percent rule. However, as long as the client knew of the transaction minimum in advance, the rule would not apply. 

Special Considerations

The five percent rule also has another meaning. In the context of investing, it may also refer to the practice of not allocating more than 5% of a portfolio to any single security — in other words, of not letting any one mutual fund, company stock, or even industrial sector to accumulate to comprise more than 5% of the investor's overall holdings. This sort of five percent rule is a yardstick to help investors with diversification and risk management.