Deferred loads are becoming a much less-used feature of investment companies, thanks to the exploding popularity of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and no-load mutual funds. Investors now have thousands of choices in the no-load arena, although deferred loads are still found in many types of insurance products, such as annuities and even in many hedge funds. These types of charges are typically put in place to discourage against short-term investment in favor of a buy-and-hold strategy amongst its investors.