INVESTMENT FEES • COMPOUNDING • LONG-TERM COST
Investment Fee Calculator
See how small investment fees compound into a large long-term wealth cost — and compare two funds side by side.
What this means
Fee impact comparison
The no-fee scenario uses the same gross return and contributions, isolating the cost of the entered fee schedule.
After fees—
Without fees—
Wealth lost—
A
Fund A
B
Fund B
Fund comparison summary
A
Fund A — Simulated result
Final portfolio value—
Direct fees—
Lost compounding (opportunity cost)—
Total wealth lost—
B
Fund B — Simulated result
Final portfolio value—
Direct fees—
Lost compounding (opportunity cost)—
Total wealth lost—
Final value gap (A - B)—
Total fees gap (A - B)—
Green marks the better outcome: higher final value and lower total fees.
Year-by-year fee impact
Direct fees and opportunity cost accumulate over time.
| Year | After fees | Without fees | Direct fees | Wealth lost | Fee drag |
|---|
Year-by-year comparison
Final portfolio value for each fund and the gap between them.
| Year | Fund A | Fund B | Difference |
|---|
Method, example and assumptions
Net-return-after-fees model: gross return is applied to the portfolio every month. Fee stacks are applied to the modeled balance separately: annual percentages (expense ratio, advisor fee, platform fee) are converted to an effective monthly charge, transaction fees are deducted from each contribution, the load fee comes off the initial amount, and a performance fee is charged on positive annual gains. The no-fee path uses the same gross return and contributions so direct fees and lost compounding stay visible.
Worked example: a $100,000 portfolio growing at 7% a year with a 1% annual management fee, no other charges and $500 monthly contributions ends 30 years later at about $1.04 million instead of about $1.35 million without fees — roughly $302,000 less, of which about $134,000 is direct fees and about $168,000 is compounding lost on those fees.
Comparison: in Compare mode both funds share the same initial amount, yearly contribution, period and expected gross return, while each fund applies its own fee stack. The calculator then shows each fund's direct fees, lost compounding, total wealth lost and final value, plus the final-value gap and the total-fees gap between the two funds.
Assumptions: percentages are applied to modeled balances, the performance fee applies only to positive annual returns after excluding contributions, and taxes, spreads and product-specific charges are not modeled.
Method reviewed August 24, 2026.