Investment Fee (MER) Calculator
A fund’s fee (its MER) is taken every year, on your entire balance — so the money it removes never gets to grow for you. This calculator shows the real, lifetime cost of a high-fee fund versus a low-cost ETF. Want the full explanation? Read what a 1% MER really costs you.
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Frequently asked questions
What is an MER?
The Management Expense Ratio (MER) is the yearly fee a fund charges, as a percentage of your money. A 2% MER means $2 of every $100 you have invested is taken each year — automatically, whether the fund goes up or down.
Is a 2% MER really that bad?
It sounds small, but it’s charged on your whole balance every year, and the money it takes can’t compound for you. Over decades that quietly adds up to tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars — often a large share of your potential nest egg, as the calculator shows.
Why compare against a 0.2% MER?
Around 0.2% is typical for a low-cost Canadian index ETF, while many bank mutual funds charge close to 2%. Comparing the two shows what you give up by staying in a high-fee fund — assuming both hold similar investments.
Do lower fees guarantee better returns?
No fund can guarantee returns. But fees are one of the few things you can control, and lower fees mathematically leave more money invested for you. Decades of evidence show high fees rarely buy better performance.
How do I find my fund’s MER?
It’s in the fund’s “Fund Facts” document and on the provider’s website. If you hold mutual funds through a bank advisor, ask them for the MER of each fund in plain numbers.