FAQ

6% a year before costs is an assumption to calculate with, not an expectation or a forecast. We chose a cautious figure on purpose as a starting point. You can change it in the calculator, from 1% to 15%. Real returns differ from year to year and can be negative; the band shows what 2 percentage points more or less does.

The band shows the net balance at 2 percentage points more or less return: an illustration of uncertainty, not a forecast. The lower edge never assumes less than a 0% return before costs.

The starting amount is there from the beginning. The monthly contribution is added at the end of each month. More on How it works.

Yes. Choose ‘Enter your own costs’ in the list of funds and enter the ongoing costs (TER), from 0.01% to 2.5% a year. A fund’s TER is in its key information document and on the provider’s factsheet.

Yes. The share button copies a link with all your settings. Anyone who opens the link sees the same calculation. The settings sit after the # in the address, which browsers do not send to the server. The worked examples use such links too.

The Total Expense Ratio, also called ongoing charges: what a fund costs per year, as a percentage of the amount invested. You do not pay it separately; it comes off the fund’s assets continuously. More in the glossary.

Gross is the balance without fund costs, net the balance after the TER. The difference is the fee erosion: what fund costs take over the whole horizon, including the return that money would otherwise have earned.

The costs (TER) come off your return every year, and what you miss because of them no longer grows either. With the default settings (€5,000 start, €500 a month, 25 years, 6% gross a year) the difference at 0.14% costs is about €8,134; at 0.20% about €11,555. See also Fee levels compared.

Investing involves risk of loss. The figures presented by this calculator are for illustrative purposes only and do not constitute financial advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

No. The calculator uses only the fund’s ongoing costs. What your broker charges per purchase, the spread and currency costs are not included. With small monthly amounts fixed transaction costs can weigh heavily: €1 on a €100 purchase is 1%.

Tax on dividends that a fund pays in a company’s country and cannot reclaim. It lowers the return but is not in the TER. The calculator leaves it out. More in the glossary.

The costs come from the fund providers’ documents, such as the factsheet. The last check was in September 2026. Costs may have changed since: for the current costs, see the fund’s key information document or the provider’s factsheet.

No. The calculator works without taxes (such as the Dutch Box 3), transaction costs or dividend withholding tax.

This is general information, not tax or investment advice. For your own situation, consult a qualified tax adviser, a financial adviser licensed by the AFM (the Dutch financial markets authority) or the Belastingdienst.

No. None of the amounts are adjusted for inflation.

Funds for retail investors in the EU fall under the European UCITS rules and have a key information document. US ETFs usually do not, so they are not offered to retail investors in the EU. The calculator only lists funds you can buy here.

This list shows brokers that serve retail investors in the Netherlands. The order is alphabetical and the same for every fund, regardless of any compensation.

No. The calculator runs in your own browser. The figures you enter are not sent anywhere. A share link keeps your scenario after the # in the address, which browsers do not send to the server. See also the privacy page.