The Fee Erosion Simulator.

A 1% fee sounds small, but over 30 years, it can consume nearly a third of your total possible wealth. Run the audit to see the math.

Portfolio Fee Erosion Simulator

Efficiency Audit: Visualizing the 30-year wealth impact of AUM fees.

Initial Portfolio Size

The starting balance of your investment account.

Monthly Contribution

How much you plan to add to the account every month.

Annual Return (%)

The expected annual growth rate before fees. Historical S&P 500 average is ~10% before inflation.

Years to Invest

The total time you plan to hold these investments.

Annual Advisory/AUM Fee (%)

The percentage of your total assets your advisor or brokerage charges annually. 1% is a common industry standard.

Low (0%)

1.00%

High (3%)

30-Year Wealth Impact

Wealth Lost to Fees

0% of your gains vanished

Zero-Fee Balance

Your Balance

The Fiscal Verdict

Your advisor fees compound just like your investments, except they compound for them, not you.

Why "Small" Fees are Wealth Killers

The danger of an Assets Under Management (AUM) fee isn't just the dollar amount you pay this year—it's the compounded opportunity cost of that money.

The 1% Rule of Thirds

In a typical 30-year retirement horizon with a 7% average market return, a 1% annual fee will effectively take 28% of your final portfolio value. This occurs because the money taken out for fees never has the chance to earn its own interest. You aren't just losing 1% of your balance; you're losing 1% of your balance plus the decades of compounding that money would have generated.

How to Use This Audit

Current Balance: Enter what you currently have in your taxable brokerage or IRA.
The "Real" Fee: Look at your last statement. If you pay an advisor, look for "Management Fee." If you buy mutual funds, look for the "Expense Ratio." Add them together for the total drag.
The Comparison: The green numbers represent a "Zero-Fee" index fund scenario (like Vanguard's VTI at 0.03%), while the red numbers show the erosion caused by your current cost structure.