The release of another new calculator/spreadsheet on the calculator resource page.

This one will let you quickly see how much you may end up with in your pocket from your investments, by comparing multiple providers and their funds.

The sheet allows for an initial investment with ongoing annual investment amounts. If you invest monthly, just multiply your amount by 12 to get yearly. The numbers won’t be perfect due to compounding yearly over monthly, but trying to keep things simple here as there are just too many variables.

The other limitation is this sheet just allows one return assumption. If you want to use a different return assumption, say closer to retirement, then you will have to note down your balance in the last year before the change in assumption and then start a new sheet with the new rate assumption and the closing balance of the previous period. Again, just gets too complicated with so many variables otherwise.

You can enter in the fees of the funds you are looking at and see which fund would see you best off from a cost perspective.

Do note, that although low fees are a high priority when deciding where to invest, they aren’t the only criteria. For example, some funds place market caps on companies so they don’t exceed a certain percentage (ie 5%) of the entire index. Also, some funds invest in emerging markets whereas others do not. Others invest more ethically. It is up to you determine how much of an emphasis you place on the different factors.

Also note, that returns rarely happen in averages. Just because you assume 5% returns, that doesn’t mean you will receive 5% in the pocket. Sequence of returns and volatility of returns have a significant difference as to how much the average return is and how much you actually receive in your pocket.

This calculator should just be used for general purposes to help with the overall decision making process. But the decision of where to invest is a lot more nuanced than the numbers in a sheet.

The spreadsheet can be found on the calculators page under investing calculators “Investment fund provider comparison spreadsheet”.

If you have any feedback or improvements let me know and I can take a look.

If you need help with your financial planning, then get in touch and we may be able to help.

The information contained on this site is the opinion of the individual author(s) based on their personal opinions, observation, research, and years of experience. The information offered by this website is general education only and is not meant to be taken as individualised financial advice, legal advice, tax advice, or any other kind of advice. You can read more of my disclaimer here