Quote from oldtime:
typical for commodites is 4% of the gross deducted quarterly
and 20% of profits deducted monthly
for stocks it is usually 2 and 20
there's an old high, in the example 50k, so after 1 month if account is 51k that's a 1k profit and the CTA gets $200, but on the quarter if the new high is 60K, then 1% of gross is deducted, so that's $600, so that leaves you with $59400, and you minus the old high from that to determine the CTA's profit.
also, usually the management fee is deducted first, so if you open an account with 50k on Sep 1, the very fist thing that happens is $500 gets deducted before the first trade is made, and it is prorated if you open later in the quarter.
But that is all if you are greasing the palms of the brokers who sell the fund.
Any CTA can work out his own deal.
Percentage of the gross is only for large accounts that are hard to move around.
50k if you are thinking about managing it, would be 30% of the profits and no percentage of the gross.
better deal if it's just you and one investor is a 50/50 partnership.
He loans the partnership 50k at interest, and you both split the pro fits, after you pay the interest on the loan 50/50.