Investment Fee Impact Calculator
See how fees erode your investment returns over time.
Fee Comparison
Initial Investment:$ 100000
Expected Return:7.0%
High Fee:1.00%
Low Fee:0.25%
Net Return (High):6.0%
Net Return (Low):6.8%
Annual Fee Cost
High Fee Annual Cost:$ 1000
Low Fee Annual Cost:$ 250
First-year fee cost. Fees compound as portfolio grows.
Final Values After 30 Years
With High Fee:$ 574349
With Low Fee:$ 709637
Lost to Fees:$ 135288
Fee Drag:19.1%
Cumulative Fee Impact
Over 30 years, fees cost you:$ 135288
This is money that would have compounded if not lost to fees.
Year-by-Year Comparison (First 10)
| Year | High Fee | Low Fee | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $ 106000 | $ 106750 | $ 750 |
| 2 | $ 112360 | $ 113956 | $ 1596 |
| 3 | $ 119102 | $ 121648 | $ 2546 |
| 4 | $ 126248 | $ 129859 | $ 3611 |
| 5 | $ 133823 | $ 138624 | $ 4802 |
| 6 | $ 141852 | $ 147981 | $ 6130 |
| 7 | $ 150363 | $ 157970 | $ 7607 |
| 8 | $ 159385 | $ 168633 | $ 9248 |
| 9 | $ 168948 | $ 180016 | $ 11068 |
| 10 | $ 179085 | $ 192167 | $ 13082 |
Fee Reduction Tips
- Index funds/ETFs: typically 0.03-0.20% fees
- Active funds: often 0.5-2% fees, rarely outperform
- Advisor fees: 1% typical, consider flat-fee advisors
- 401(k): check expense ratios, consider IRA rollover
- A 1% fee over 30 years costs ~$100K on $100K investment
- Every 0.1% saved compounds to significant savings