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Mutual Fund and ETF Fee Calculator

A fund’s expense ratio looks small, but it is charged every year on your whole balance. See how much fees and sales loads cost over your investing horizon.

$46,388Total cost of fees over 25 years

Value with no fees$370,598
Value after fees$324,211
Share of growth lost to fees18.1%

Fees compound like returns do, so small differences in expense ratio grow large over decades. Index funds often charge under 0.1%.

How this calculator works

The calculator grows your investment and monthly additions twice: once at the gross return, and once at the return minus the expense ratio.

A front-end load is deducted from every amount you invest before it is invested.

The difference between the two final values is the true cost of fees, including the growth that the fee money would have earned.

Expense ratios are disclosed in each fund’s prospectus; brokers may add separate advisory fees on top.

Worked example

$25,000 plus $300 a month for 25 years at 7%, 0.75% expense ratio

  1. Without fees: about $370,600.
  2. With a 0.75% fee: about $324,200.
  3. Fees cost about $46,400.

Questions people ask

What is a good expense ratio?

Broad index funds and ETFs often charge under 0.10%. Actively managed funds commonly charge 0.5% to 1% or more.

What is a sales load?

A commission paid when you buy (front-end) or sell (back-end). Many funds sold directly to investors have no load.

Do higher-fee funds earn more?

Studies of US funds have found most actively managed funds trail their index after fees over long periods.

Where do I find a fund’s fees?

In the fee table near the start of its prospectus, or on the fund’s page at your broker.

Last reviewed October 2, 2026