Mutual Fund Calculator
Estimate NAV growth, shares, dividends, fees, and projected value for a mutual fund investment.
Fund assumptions
Projected NAV:
Ending fund value:
Total contributions:
Total dividends reinvested:
Total fees paid:
Approx annualized return:
This estimate assumes dividends are reinvested and monthly contributions are invested at the start of each month.
How fees and dividends affect fund growth
Each month, the simulation adds any dividend yield (converted into extra shares, as if reinvested), adds your contribution (also converted into shares at the current NAV), then grows the NAV by your expected return minus the expense ratio — so the expense ratio quietly reduces compounding every single month rather than being charged as one lump fee.
Frequently asked questions
Why does a small expense ratio matter so much over time? Because it's deducted from your return every year for potentially decades, even a seemingly small 0.5–1% expense ratio compounds into a large cumulative drag on your ending balance — this is why comparing expense ratios matters when choosing between similar funds.
What's the difference between "expected annual return" and "annualized return" in the results? The input is your assumed gross market return; the output "approx annualized return" reflects your actual realized growth rate after fees and including the timing effect of ongoing contributions and reinvested dividends.
Should I assume dividends are reinvested? This calculator assumes reinvestment (the standard default for long-term growth investing) — if you plan to take dividends as cash instead, your ending share count and fund value would be lower than shown here.