Investment Fee Calculator
Compare two annual fees on the same investment plan. See how much is paid directly in fees, how those deductions change growth, and the difference between the final balances.
Currency changes the label only. Use a gross return before fees; entering an already-net return would count fees twice. All amounts stay in your browser.
Final balance with fee A
—Final balance with fee B
—Balance B minus balance A: —
Total contributed: —
Direct fees paid under A: —
Growth difference caused by fee A, beyond the fees themselves: —
Compare final balances
Year-by-year fee comparison
The no-fee column uses the same deposits and gross return. Total fee drag is the gap between that column and fee A; it includes direct fees and the growth difference.
| Year | No fees | Fee A | Fee B | Direct fees A | Total drag A |
|---|
How the calculation works
The entered gross return is an effective annual return. For each month, the growth factor is g = (1 + R)1/12. The annual fee F is charged monthly as F/12 of the balance after growth. An end-of-month deposit is added after that fee; a beginning-of-month deposit is added before growth and the fee.
End deposits: Bm = Bm−1 × g × (1 − F/12) + C.
Beginning deposits: Bm = (Bm−1 + C) × g × (1 − F/12).
This monthly charging convention is an illustration. Actual funds may accrue expenses daily, bill quarterly, use tiered charges or deduct a fixed amount. Upfront, performance, transaction and exit fees are excluded. Check the product’s published charging schedule before comparing it with these results.
A simple example you can verify
With 10,000 invested, no deposits, 0% gross return and a 1% annual fee charged monthly, one year ends at 9,900.46. Direct fees are 99.54. At zero return, there is no separate lost growth: the entire difference is the money deducted. The reference calculation is 10,000 × (1 − 0.01/12)12.
Why the final gap can exceed the fees paid
At a positive return, each fee removes money that would otherwise stay invested. Over time, the balance difference therefore includes both the deduction and the return it could have earned. With negative returns, the growth-difference figure can be negative: money deducted earlier also avoids later modelled losses. The calculator keeps that sign instead of hiding it.
The SEC’s investor bulletin on investment fees explains why ongoing costs matter. This tool demonstrates that arithmetic; it does not recommend a fund, forecast returns or imply that a cheaper product is suitable for everyone.
Assumptions and limits
Returns and fees stay constant. Monthly contributions stay level. Taxes, inflation, currency conversion, withdrawals and market volatility are excluded. Timelines must contain whole months, from zero to 100 years. Zero fees and zero returns are supported. Fee A and B are independent inputs: B does not have to be the cheaper option.
Calculations use full precision; displayed money is rounded to two decimal places. The model is tested against an independent cash-flow reference. Read our calculation methodology and corrections policy.
Related calculations
Use the investment calculator for general growth, today’s dollars calculator to interpret purchasing power, or the monthly goal calculator to work backwards from a target.
Updated September 13, 2026. Educational mathematical projection, not financial advice.