WealthTreeCA
Investing · Free tool

Investment Growth Calculator

Project your portfolio over time and see the difference the fee, or MER, makes to the final balance. Small percentages compound too.

Nothing is saved or sent anywhere Prints as a one-page worksheet
$
$
years
%
%

Canadian index ETFs run about 0.05–0.25%; many mutual funds charge 2%.

Balance after 0 years
$0
Growth on your money
$0
Lost to fees
$0

The difference between your gross return and your return after fees.

If fees were 0.10%
$0

$0 more in your pocket.

Same investment, with and without fees
  • Before fees
  • After your fee
$0$1$1000Years invested

The gap between the lines is the fee compounding against you.

Where the 0-year total ends up

Enter amounts to see this chart.

Final balance: your fee vs a 0.10% index fund
  • Your fee
  • 0.10% fee
After 0 years
$0
$0
0$1

What this means

A 0.00% yearly fee costs you about $0 over 0 years. Fees are the one part of investing you fully control.

How it works

A fee is charged on your whole balance every year, so it compounds against you. Low-cost, broadly diversified index funds and ETFs keep more of the market's return in your account.

Nothing you type here is saved or sent anywhere — it stays in your browser.

Why a 2% fee is not a small fee

A fee is charged on the whole balance every year, including the growth. Over decades, the difference between a 2% mutual fund MER and a 0.2% index ETF often works out to a substantial share of the final balance — money that never compounded for you.

What Canadians actually pay

Bank mutual funds commonly carry MERs above 2%. Broad-market ETFs and robo-advisors typically land between roughly 0.2% and 0.6% all-in. Check the MER on every fund you hold, not just the headline return.

Fees you can control, returns you cannot

Nobody can promise a return, but the fee is a known, permanent subtraction. Lowering it is the most reliable improvement available to a long-term investor.

Common questions

Where do I find my fund's fee?
The MER appears in the fund's Fund Facts document and in your account statements. Advisory or platform fees may be charged on top.
Is a higher fee ever worth it?
Only for advice or a service you genuinely use. Higher fees do not reliably buy higher returns.

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Learn the ideas behind this tool

Short Canadian lessons from the free Financial Survival path.

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WealthTree teaches Canadian money basics in 5-minute lessons — TFSAs, RRSPs, FHSAs, credit and investing. The first path is free.