Mutual fund calculator
How much a fund’s expense ratio and sales load cost you over the years.
About this calculator
This mutual fund calculator shows what a fund's fees cost you. Enter what you invest, the return before fees, the expense ratio and any sales load.
It compares your balance with and without fees, and with a lower-cost fund, so you can see how small yearly charges add up.
How it works
Each month the balance grows at the return before fees and the expense ratio is taken out, as one twelfth of the yearly rate, compounded. A front-end load is taken from every amount you invest before it is put to work.
Last reviewed:
Worked example
- Amount invested now: $10,000
- Monthly investment: $200
- Years: 20 years
- Return before fees: 7% a year
- Expense ratio: 0.75% a year
- Expense ratio to compare with: 0.1% a year
Value after fees: $126,005
Common questions
What is an expense ratio?
The share of a fund's assets taken each year to pay for running it. A 0.75% ratio costs $75 a year for every $10,000 invested.
What is a sales load?
A commission paid when you buy (front-end) or sell (back-end) some fund shares. A 5% front-end load means only $9,500 of every $10,000 is invested.
Do low-cost funds really make a difference?
Yes. Over 20 years a difference of less than one percentage point a year can cost around 10% of the final balance, as the calculator shows.
Sources and further reading
The story behind it
Where the idea came from: In 1976 John Bogle's Vanguard launched the first index mutual fund for individual investors, built around keeping fees low.
At the time it was mocked as Bogle's folly. Low-cost index funds now hold trillions of dollars, because over decades even small differences in fees add up to a large share of the final balance.
Why you can trust this calculator
- It runs in your browser. Nothing you type into it is sent anywhere.
- The method is explained on this page, so you can check it yourself.
- Free to use, with no sign-up.
- Results are estimates, not financial advice.
- Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we'll look into it.
After 15 years as a mathematics educator, I built CalculStore to give students, teachers, professionals and anyone working with numbers simple, reliable tools.
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