# Mutual Fund Calculator

> Project a mutual fund investment with regular contributions and see how much the expense ratio and front-end sales load cost you over time.

Category: Finance · Applies to: Worldwide · Last updated: 2026-10-29
Interactive calculator: https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/mutual-fund-calculator

Fund costs look small as percentages but compound over years. This projects your investment with and without the expense ratio and sales load, so you can see the difference in money.

Also called: Expense ratio calculator, Fund fee calculator.

## Inputs
- Initial investment (default 10000; optional)
- Monthly investment (default 200; optional)
- Expected return before costs (per year) (unit %; default 7)
- Expense ratio (unit %; default 0.5)
- Front-end sales load (unit %; default 0; optional)
- Years invested (default 20)
- Currency

## Results
- Value after costs
- Value with no costs
- Total cost of fees
- Sales loads paid
- Total invested
- Gain after costs

## Formula

```
Each month: Value = Value × (1 + i) + Contribution × (1 − Load), with i = ((1 + g) × (1 − ER))^(1/12) − 1;  Cost of fees = Value with no costs − Value after costs
```

Where:
- g: expected yearly return before costs
- ER: expense ratio
- Load: front-end sales charge on each purchase

## Worked example
1. Net growth per year = 1.07 × (1 − 0.01) = 1.0593.
2. After costs: 10,000 × 1.0593^10 = 17,790.56.
3. With no costs: 10,000 × 1.07^10 = 19,671.51.
4. Cost of the 1% expense ratio = 19,671.51 − 17,790.56 = 1,880.95.

**Result:** A 1% expense ratio turns $10,000 growing at 7% into $17,790.56 instead of $19,671.51 after 10 years: $1,880.95 in total costs.

## What the result means

The cost of fees grows faster than the fees themselves, because money paid in fees no longer compounds. When two funds hold similar investments, the cheaper one usually leaves you with more.

## Assumptions and limits
- The return before costs is constant every year.
- The expense ratio is deducted from assets continuously; the sales load is deducted from every purchase.
- Contributions are made at the end of each month and all distributions are reinvested.
- Deferred sales charges, account fees, trading costs inside the fund and taxes are not included.
- Real returns vary year to year; the order of returns matters when you contribute regularly.

## Questions

### What is an expense ratio?

The fund’s yearly operating cost as a percentage of your investment, taken from the fund’s assets. You never see a bill; it simply lowers your return.

### What is a sales load?

A commission on some share classes. A front-end load is taken from each purchase, so less of your money is invested from day one.

## Sources
- [U.S. SEC Investor.gov](https://www.investor.gov/)

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_Returns are illustrations at a constant rate, not predictions or guarantees. Investments can lose value. This is not investment advice._

Source: GM¹X CalcVerse — https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/mutual-fund-calculator