ETF Expense Ratio Impact Calculator
Investing & MarketsCalculate the long-term dollar cost of an ETF expense ratio compared to a lower-fee alternative.
Total Cost of the Expense Ratio
The total dollar amount this expense ratio costs you over the holding period, compared to a hypothetical fee-free fund.
Value After Fees
$121,967
Projected value after accounting for the expense ratio drag on returns.
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Odeh Ahwal0people find this calculator helpful
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Investing & Markets calculators
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do small expense ratio differences matter so much over time?
Expense ratios compound the same way returns do, so even a seemingly small annual percentage difference, like 0.5 percent versus 0.05 percent, can amount to a significant dollar cost over several decades of investing.
What is considered a low expense ratio today?
Many broad market index ETFs now offer expense ratios well under 0.1 percent, while actively managed funds often charge 0.5 to 1.5 percent or more, a substantial ongoing cost difference for similar market exposure.
Does a higher expense ratio always mean worse performance?
Not automatically, but higher-fee funds must outperform their benchmark by at least the fee difference just to match a comparable low-cost index fund net return, which historically very few actively managed funds consistently achieve.
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