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Killer Fees Calculator

How much are your savings & investment fees really costing you?

By · Data reviewed: August 2026

1.5% vs 0.3% fees over 25 years = $167,277 difference

Enter your fee percentage and see how much it eats from your portfolio

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Killer Fees Calculator
A "tiny" 1.5% fee vs 0.3%, over 25 years…
Same market, same returns — the fee alone takes:
−$167,277
= 21% of my final portfolio, gone
$50,000 start · $500/month
What do YOUR fees really cost? →
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Growth Comparison: High vs Low Fees

* This calculator is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.

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Fee Comparison Scenarios

401(k) Plan

$100K + $1,500/mo, 1.5% vs 0.1% for 25 years

Lost to fees: -$493,866

IRA Rollover

$200K + $500/mo, 1.0% vs 0.03% for 20 years

Lost to fees: -$205,138

Target Date Fund

$50K + $500/mo, 0.8% vs 0.15% for 30 years

Lost to fees: -$181,297

Fee Impact Examples

PortfolioMonthlyHighLowYearsLost
$100,000$5001.5%0.1%25$210,000
$200,000$1,5001.0%0.03%20$195,000
$50,000$5000.8%0.15%30$150,000
$500,000$2,0001.2%0.03%20$520,000
$1,000,000$5,0001.0%0.1%25$1,100,000

The Hidden Cost of Management Fees Over Time

Management fees look like small numbers — 1% or 2% — but over decades of saving, they can cost you a house. The expense ratio on your 401(k), IRA, or mutual funds compounds against you just like interest compounds for you. The difference between 0.1% (Vanguard-style index funds) and 1.5% (actively managed funds) over 30 years can amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Our fee calculator shows you the cumulative impact of management fees on your savings. The message: it's absolutely worth switching to low-cost index funds — it's one of the most profitable financial decisions you'll ever make. Total-market index funds with expense ratios below 0.1% exist today from providers such as Vanguard, Fidelity and Schwab.

How to Use the Killer Fees Calculator

Enter your current portfolio value, your current fee percentage (check your fund's expense ratio), the lower fee you'd like to compare (e.g., 0.03% for a Vanguard Total Market fund), expected annual return, period in years, and monthly deposit. The calculator will show the difference between both scenarios and how much you'd save by switching.

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Frequently Asked Questions

For index funds and ETFs, 0.03%-0.2% is reasonable (Vanguard, Fidelity, Schwab offer funds in this range). For 401(k) plans, aim for under 0.5%. Anything above 1% is considered expensive.

Because they compound against you over the years. A 1.5% fee over 30 years can take a third of your returns — potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars from your retirement savings.

Switch to low-cost index funds (like Vanguard's VTI at 0.03%), roll over old 401(k)s to low-fee IRAs, and avoid actively managed funds that charge 1%+ with no proven advantage.

The expense ratio is the annual fee a fund charges as a percentage of your investment. A fund with a 1% expense ratio charges $100/year for every $10,000 invested. This is deducted automatically from your returns.

Rarely. Over 15-year periods, 90%+ of actively managed funds underperform their benchmark index after fees (SPIVA data). The few that outperform are nearly impossible to predict in advance. Low-cost index funds win for most investors.

On a $100,000 portfolio with $500/month contributions at 8% return: a 1.5% fee leaves $1,255,265. A 0.5% fee leaves $1,620,087. That 1% difference costs you $364,822.

If your employer's 401(k) has high-fee options, contribute enough to get the full employer match (free money), then invest additional savings in a low-cost IRA. When you leave the job, roll over your 401(k) to a low-fee IRA immediately.

Created by Amiel Riss | SmartMoney77

📊 Data source: Standard financial models. Prices and data in this article are reviewed and updated semi-annually. Last update: August 2026.

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