Fee Comparison Calculator: What Does Investing Really Cost?
March 4, 2026
2 min read
Fee Comparison Calculator: What Does Investing Really Cost?
Fees are the silent killer of your returns. Small differences — 0.5% here, 1% there — add up to tens of thousands over 20 years. This calculator shows you the true costs — transparent and honest.
Fee Comparison: Bank vs. Robo vs. arvy
Invested Amount
CHF 50'000
Your currently invested or to-be-invested wealth. Fees are calculated as a percentage — at CHF 100,000 and 2.5% bank fees, you pay CHF 2,500/year. → arvy fees in detail
Monthly Contribution
CHF 500
Your monthly savings. The more you invest, the larger the fee difference over the years — because fees are charged on the entire growing portfolio.
Investment Horizon
20 years
The longer the horizon, the more devastating high fees become — because they act as negative compound interest. Over 30 years, 2.5% fees can cost up to 40% of your final wealth.
Gross Return (before fees)
7%
The expected return BEFORE fees. At 7% gross return and 2.5% fees, you keep only 4.5% net return. At arvy (0.88%), you keep 6.12%. → Compound Interest Calculator
Traditional Bank
All-in: ~2.5% p.a.
CHF 1'250
per year (current)
Final wealth: CHF 185'714
Robo-Advisor
All-in: ~0.9% p.a.
CHF 450
per year (current)
Final wealth: CHF 248'561
arvy
All-in: ~0.9% p.a.
CHF 445
per year (current)
Final wealth: CHF 249'302
Your advantage with arvy vs. bank over over 20 years:
+ CHF 63'588
Pay less, keep more. At arvy: professional stock selection, founders invest alongside you, all-inclusive from CHF 84/year on CHF 10,000. → View fees
Why Fees Matter So Much
A one percentage point fee difference may sound irrelevant. Over 20 years, it is not. With CHF 50,000 starting capital and CHF 500/month savings, a bank charging 2.5% costs you over CHF 60,000 more than a low-cost provider. That is money you could have in your pocket instead of the bank.
The reason: fees act as negative compound interest. They reduce not only this year's return but also the base on which future earnings are calculated. The longer the horizon, the larger the difference.
What's Included at arvy
Many providers lure with low management fees — then charge separately for transactions, custody, FX spreads, and tax statements. At arvy, everything is included: management fee (0.69–0.89%), product costs (0.15–0.22%), stamp duty, transactions, currency exchange, tax statement and weekly investment education. No hidden costs. → View details
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Investing Glossary
89 terms explained
Transparent investing. Honest pricing.
Professional investing from CHF 84/year on CHF 10,000. All-inclusive, no hidden fees.
Set up a savings planIllustration. Fees based on public information and averages (as of March 2026). Bank: typical Swiss retail bank incl. custody, transaction costs, FX spread. Robo: average of largest Swiss robo-advisors. arvy: all-in costs based on Growth strategy. Imprint
