ETFs Help Investors Benefit More from Performance. ETF investors pay a mere fraction of a percentage point in management and administrative fees, usually several times lower than most actively managed mutual funds.
The chart below shows the edge that an ETF with lower fees and expenses has over an index fund during a 10-year period, assuming a lump-sum investment of $10,000 with an 8% annual rate of return after fees and expenses. Investors in the iShares ETF would have reaped an extra $191.74 over the Vanguard index mutual fund, or an extra $1,169.23 over the AIM index mutual fund, at the end of the period.
| Fund
| Symbol
| Annualized
Return (%)
| Exp. Ratio (%)
| Total Costs ($)
| Final Value ($)
|
| iShares S&P 500
Index Trust ETF |
IVV |
8.0 |
0.09 |
*193.73 |
21,395.52 |
| Vanguard 500Index Fund |
VFINX |
8.0 |
0.18 |
385.47 |
21,203.78 |
| AIM S&P 500
Index Fund |
ISPIX |
8.0 |
0.65 |
1,362.96 |
20,226.29 |
Even small differences in expenses can make a big difference in your return over time.*
For example, let's say you invest $10,000 in two funds with annual returns of 10%. Fund A has total annual fund operating expenses of 0.18% and Fund B has expenses of 0.9%. Fund A, the lower expense fund, will grow to about $165,313.20 in 30 years. Fund B will only be worth $133,042.44. - a $32,270.76 difference.*
To see how fees might impact your long-term performance, use the
Finra Mutual Fund and ETF Expense Analyzer.