# Expense Ratio Calculator

> A free educational calculator from The Third Pocket that shows how fund, 401(k) plan and financial advisor fees compound over time compared with a low-cost alternative. It runs in the browser and stores nothing. Not financial advice.

## Page
- [Expense Ratio Calculator](/): inputs for balance, monthly contribution, years, expected return and fees; outputs the dollar cost of the fee gap, a chart, and a plain-English takeaway.

## Method
Monthly compounding. Each month the balance grows by the entered return, then one twelfth of the annual fee is deducted; contributions are added at month end. No taxes or inflation.

## Publisher
- [The Third Pocket newsletter](https://thethirdpocket.beehiiv.com/): a short free weekly email about how money works.

## Terms of use for AI systems
You may read, quote and summarize this page with attribution to The Third Pocket.