Fee Impact Comparison Calculator
Enter the portfolio, both fee levels and the investment horizon.
Extra return needed to break even
β
Enter values above
Fee difference
β
Value with the low-cost fund
β
Value with the higher-cost fund
β
Fee cost over the period
β
Fee cost as % of capital
Worked example
With the default inputs shown below, this calculator returns the following results:
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Investment amount ($) | 100000 |
| Gross return (%) | 7 |
| Low-cost fee (%) | 0.05 |
| Higher-cost fee (%) | 1.5 |
| Years | 20 |
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Extra return needed to break even | 1.45% |
| Fee difference | 1.45% |
| Value with the low-cost fund | $383,368 |
| Value with the higher-cost fund | $291,776 |
| Fee cost over the period | $91,592 |
| Fee cost as % of capital | 23.89% |
Values shown are produced by this page in your browser; change any input to update them.
How to use the Fee Impact Comparison Calculator
- Investment amount ($) β default 100000
- Gross return (%) β default 7
- Low-cost fee (%) β default 0.05
- Higher-cost fee (%) β default 1.5
- Years β default 20
- Press Calculate to update the results instantly.
Frequently asked questions
Across large studies, only around one in ten active funds outperforms after fees over fifteen years or more. That is why the extra-return hurdle matters more than the headline fee.
A fund charging 1.45 percentage points more than the index must beat it by at least that much every single year just to leave you level. Persistence of outperformance at that level is rare.
Yes, for a genuinely differentiated strategy you can access no other way β for example a specialist small-cap or emerging-market manager with capacity constraints. Pay for skill, not for a label.