Free tool · Fee-drag illustration
401(k) Fee Comparison Calculator
Fee differences that look tiny on paper compound into life-changing amounts. Compare your old plan’s all-in cost against an alternative.
Free tool · Fee-drag illustration
Fee differences that look tiny on paper compound into life-changing amounts. Compare your old plan’s all-in cost against an alternative.
“All-in cost” means everything: fund expense ratios plus plan administrative charges plus any advisory fee. Your old plan’s numbers are in its annual 404(a)(5) participant fee disclosure — how to find it is explained below.
An assumption you control, not a prediction — the point of the tool is the difference between the two options, which holds at any growth rate.
Projection method: balance × (1 + growth − fees)years, the same simple illustration the Department of Labor uses in its fee guidance. Actual investment returns vary and are not guaranteed — but the fee drag itself is contractual and certain.
The Department of Labor’s own illustration: a $25,000 balance left for 35 years earning 7% before fees ends at about $227,000 with 0.5% annual fees — but only $163,000 with 1.5% fees. The single extra percentage point consumes 28% of the final balance.
Look for the “Annual Fee Disclosure” or “404(a)(5) notice” on the plan’s website (often under Documents or Statements), or request it from the plan administrator — they’re required to provide it. Note each fund’s expense ratio, the administrative fee (flat dollars or a percentage), and any per-participant charges billed to former employees.
Ask for — in writing — the account maintenance fee, the expense ratios of the actual funds proposed, any advisory or wrap fee as a percentage, and transaction commissions. If an advisor recommends the rollover, ask how they’re compensated; they’re required to tell you.
Everything that comes out of your balance every year: fund expense ratios, plan administrative/recordkeeping fees, advisory or wrap fees, and (in some plans) per-head charges to former employees. Trading commissions and one-time transfer fees matter too but are usually small next to recurring percentages.
No. Index funds inside an IRA can cost under 0.1%, but a managed IRA with a 1% advisory fee is often more expensive than a decent employer plan, whose institutional share classes can beat retail pricing. That’s why the comparison has to use your actual numbers from both sides — not assumptions.
Generally yes — plans may pass administrative costs to separated participants that the employer subsidized for active ones. It shows up in the 404(a)(5) disclosure and is a legitimate factor favoring a rollover when the charge is meaningful.
No. The growth rate is your assumption, and the tool applies it identically to both options — what it isolates is the fee drag, which is contractual. At higher or lower growth the dollar difference changes, but the cheaper option always finishes ahead by roughly the compounded fee gap.
Fees are one factor of several — see the full side-by-side comparison.
Read the guide →See which destinations are typically open for your account.
See your options →We’ll pull the fee disclosures with you and put the numbers side by side.
Read the guide →These tools show you the rules. A no-cost, no-obligation consultation walks through how they apply to your specific accounts — before you sign anything.
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