Growth, inflation and asset mix
Investment Calculator With Fees and Inflation
Estimate what your investments could be worth after fund fees and inflation, based on your starting balance, regular contributions, expected return and years.
Projected Portfolio Value
After FeesYear-by-Year Growth
| Year | Money Put In | Total Returns | Balance | Value in Today's Dollars |
|---|
How This Calculator Works
This calculator estimates what a starting balance and regular contributions could grow to after fund fees and inflation. You get two totals: the amount you would see on a statement, and what that money would buy in today's dollars. Real returns vary from year to year, so treat the result as an estimate.
A fee of 0.75% a year sounds small, but over 25 years it can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Move the expense ratio slider to compare low-cost index funds (about 0.03% to 0.15%) with actively managed funds (about 0.65% to 1.25%).
Frequently Asked Questions
What return should I assume for a long-term stock portfolio?
Roughly 7% to 8% a year before inflation is a common assumption for a diversified mix of stocks and bonds, such as 70/30 or 80/20. The S&P 500 alone has returned about 9.5% to 10% a year over multi-decade periods (roughly 6.5% to 7% after inflation), but that is an all-stock figure and includes some rough years.
How much do expense ratios cost me over time?
More than the fee alone, because the money you pay in fees can no longer grow. On a lump sum left alone for 30 years, a 1.00% fee can cut the ending balance by more than 22%. The hit is smaller if you add money steadily, since later deposits have less time to grow.
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