Basics

Expense Ratio

Expense ratio is the annual fee a fund charges, expressed as a percentage of assets. A 0.5% expense ratio means you pay $5 per $1,000 invested yearly. Lower is better—index funds often charge under 0.2%.

Example

A 1% expense ratio on a $10,000 fund costs $100 per year.

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Expense Ratio — Definition & Example | Investors Lab | Investors Lab