Fee impact calculator
A 1% fee sounds tiny. Over 30 years it can quietly consume a quarter of your portfolio. Compare two funds and see the real cost.
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Projections are illustrations based on your inputs, not predictions or advice. Actual returns vary year to year.
Why small fees do big damage
Fees compound exactly like returns, just against you. A fund charging 1% does not take 1% of your money once. It takes 1% of your whole balance every single year, including all the growth your earlier money produced. Over 30 years the arithmetic is brutal.
This is the most reliable improvement available to most investors. Future returns are unknowable, but fees are printed in the prospectus. Broad index funds now charge 0.02% to 0.10%, while many actively managed funds still charge around 1%, and most fail to beat their index over long periods after those fees.
Check the expense ratio of every fund you own. If you find yourself paying about 1% for something an index fund covers, this calculator shows exactly what that choice costs.
Common questions
What is an expense ratio?
The annual fee a fund charges, expressed as a percentage of your invested balance. It is deducted from the fund's returns automatically, so you never see a bill, which is exactly why it is easy to ignore.
What counts as a low fee?
Broad market index funds commonly charge 0.02% to 0.10% a year. Anything near 1% deserves scrutiny, and anything above it needs an exceptional reason.
Do advisor fees work the same way?
Yes. A 1% advisory fee compounds identically on top of fund fees. Advice can be worth paying for, but the same math applies, so know your all in cost.