Investment Fee Calculator (Expense Ratio)
Free online investment-fee calculator. Enter a starting amount, monthly contribution, years, assumed return and a fund's annual expense ratio to compare a zero-fee path with the real after-fee path — and see exactly how much cost quietly compounds away. A powerful reason to prefer low-cost index funds. Educational, not investment advice. InvestingRuns locally
Use this tool
How to use
- Enter the starting amount and monthly contribution.
- Set the years and an assumed gross annual return.
- Enter the fund's annual fee (expense ratio), e.g. 0.10 for a cheap index fund or 1.2 for an expensive active fund.
Frequently asked questions
Why does a small fee matter so much?
Fees are charged every year on the whole balance and compound in reverse, so a difference of 1% can remove a large share of the final balance over decades.
What is an expense ratio?
It is the annual percentage a fund deducts to run itself — an ETF at 0.07% costs far less over time than a fund at 1.2% with the same holdings.
Are there other costs?
Yes — trading spreads, loads and advisory fees also reduce returns; this tool isolates the recurring annual expense ratio.