Investment Comparison Calculator
Run two investment scenarios side by side over the same period, and see exactly how contributions, returns and charges combine to produce the gap between them.
Formula and method
Each scenario runs monthly: the balance grows at the equivalent monthly rate, the contribution lands at month end, and the annual fee is taken out pro rata.
Both scenarios cover the same number of years, so what you're comparing is the assumptions, not the time invested.
The headline figure is simply scenario A's ending balance minus scenario B's.
Worked example
Scenario A: €10,000 plus €250 a month at 6% with a 0.25% charge. Scenario B: same numbers, but 8% return with a 1.2% charge.
B's higher return is partly clawed back by its higher fee, so the final gap is smaller than the two-point return difference makes it sound.
Cut B's fee down to A's level and its lead widens. That's the trade-off this tool exists to show.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What exactly gets compared?
Two full scenarios, each with its own starting amount, monthly contribution, assumed return and annual fee, run over the same period.
Does the bigger projected number mean the better investment?
Not on its own. The projection ignores risk, liquidity and tax, and both scenarios rely on returns holding up as assumed. Two equal projections can carry very different risk.
Why keep the time period the same for both?
Because returns compound with time - comparing a 20-year scenario to a 10-year one rewards the longer period regardless of what's actually invested. A shared period isolates the assumptions you're testing.
How are fees handled?
Each scenario's annual fee comes off the running balance monthly, so it reduces both the balance itself and whatever that balance would otherwise have earned.
Is tax in the numbers?
No. Everything here is before income, dividend or capital gains tax, and before transaction costs.
More free tools