Compare two brokers side by side

How this is calculated

What it calculates

Two providers or products with the same savings plan, side by side: which one comes out ahead after all costs, and by how much?

Your inputs

• Same for both: starting amount, monthly contribution, time horizon and return before costs.
• Per provider: savings-plan fee in percent, fixed fee per execution, account fee per year and ongoing fund costs per year.

The calculation

For each provider, the same monthly calculation runs as in the broker cost calculator, years × 12 steps:

1. Fee = contribution × savings-plan fee + fixed fee + account fee ÷ 12.
2. Into the portfolio goes contribution − fee.
3. The portfolio grows by the return ÷ 12.
4. Then fund costs ÷ 12 come off the portfolio value.

Costs = all fees + all fund costs
Difference = |final value A − final value B|

If the difference is below €1, both count as equally expensive. Assumptions: a constant return, no taxes, no cost of switching between providers.

What the result means

You see which cost structure suits the way you save. A percentage fee on each contribution only hits what you pay in, while ongoing fund costs hit the whole, growing portfolio every year. Over long periods they usually weigh more.

Example

Default values: €5,000 start, €300 a month, 20 years, 7%. Provider A: 1.5% savings-plan fee, 0.2% fund costs. About €170,481 final value with €3,878 in costs. Provider B: no savings-plan fee but 1.5% fund costs. About €146,109 with €18,988 in costs. Difference: €24,372 in favour of A.