{
  "id": "mutual-fund-calculator",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "name": "Mutual Fund Calculator",
  "shortName": "Mutual fund",
  "description": "Project a mutual fund balance and net return after contributions, sales loads, deferred charges, and operating expenses.",
  "category": "Finance",
  "categorySlug": "finance",
  "keywords": [
    "mutual fund",
    "expense ratio",
    "sales load",
    "fund fees",
    "irr",
    "investment return"
  ],
  "status": "live",
  "workStatus": "pending",
  "reviewStatus": "pending",
  "migrationStatus": "new",
  "engine": "native",
  "creator": null,
  "reviewer": null,
  "quality": {
    "availability": "live",
    "technicalReviewRecord": "/reviews/mutual-fund-calculator.json",
    "qualifiedReview": "pending",
    "qualifiedReviewer": null,
    "qualifiedReviewDate": null,
    "formulaVersion": "1.0.0",
    "referenceCoverage": "references-listed",
    "releaseTestScope": "Catalog and regression checks are not a professional formula audit; consult release evidence.",
    "historicalMetadataDate": "2026-08-25",
    "historicalMetadataNotice": "The imported date is not evidence of a completed human review."
  },
  "notice": "Investment returns are uncertain. This projection uses one constant return and does not predict market performance.",
  "urls": {
    "page": "/calculator/mutual-fund-calculator/",
    "definition": "/calculator/mutual-fund-calculator/definition.json",
    "schema": "/calculator/mutual-fund-calculator/schema.json",
    "llms": "/calculator/mutual-fund-calculator/llms.txt",
    "legacyDefinition": "/calculator/mutual-fund-calculator.json"
  },
  "queryExample": "https://askcalculators.com/calculator/mutual-fund-calculator/?initialInvestment=20000&annualContribution=0&monthlyContribution=1000&annualReturn=5&holdingYears=5&holdingMonths=0&salesCharge=2&deferredSalesCharge=0&operatingExpense=0.5",
  "queryParameters": {
    "initialInvestment": {
      "label": "Initial investment",
      "type": "money",
      "required": true,
      "default": 20000
    },
    "annualContribution": {
      "label": "Annual contribution",
      "type": "money",
      "required": false,
      "default": 0
    },
    "monthlyContribution": {
      "label": "Monthly contribution",
      "type": "money",
      "required": false,
      "default": 1000
    },
    "annualReturn": {
      "label": "Gross annual return",
      "type": "percent",
      "required": true,
      "default": 5
    },
    "holdingYears": {
      "label": "Holding years",
      "type": "number",
      "required": true,
      "default": 5
    },
    "holdingMonths": {
      "label": "Additional months",
      "type": "number",
      "required": true,
      "default": 0
    },
    "salesCharge": {
      "label": "Front-end sales charge",
      "type": "percent",
      "required": false,
      "default": 2
    },
    "deferredSalesCharge": {
      "label": "Deferred sales charge",
      "type": "percent",
      "required": false,
      "default": 0
    },
    "operatingExpense": {
      "label": "Annual operating expense ratio",
      "type": "percent",
      "required": false,
      "default": 0.5
    }
  },
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "initialInvestment",
      "label": "Initial investment",
      "type": "money",
      "required": true,
      "defaultValue": 20000,
      "min": 0,
      "step": 100,
      "width": "half"
    },
    {
      "id": "annualContribution",
      "label": "Annual contribution",
      "type": "money",
      "defaultValue": 0,
      "min": 0,
      "step": 100,
      "help": "Added at the end of each full year.",
      "width": "half"
    },
    {
      "id": "monthlyContribution",
      "label": "Monthly contribution",
      "type": "money",
      "defaultValue": 1000,
      "min": 0,
      "step": 10,
      "width": "half"
    },
    {
      "id": "annualReturn",
      "label": "Gross annual return",
      "type": "percent",
      "required": true,
      "defaultValue": 5,
      "min": -99.9,
      "max": 100,
      "step": 0.1,
      "width": "half"
    },
    {
      "id": "holdingYears",
      "label": "Holding years",
      "type": "number",
      "required": true,
      "defaultValue": 5,
      "min": 0,
      "max": 80,
      "step": 1,
      "width": "half"
    },
    {
      "id": "holdingMonths",
      "label": "Additional months",
      "type": "number",
      "required": true,
      "defaultValue": 0,
      "min": 0,
      "max": 11,
      "step": 1,
      "width": "half"
    },
    {
      "id": "salesCharge",
      "label": "Front-end sales charge",
      "type": "percent",
      "defaultValue": 2,
      "min": 0,
      "max": 100,
      "step": 0.1,
      "width": "half"
    },
    {
      "id": "deferredSalesCharge",
      "label": "Deferred sales charge",
      "type": "percent",
      "defaultValue": 0,
      "min": 0,
      "max": 100,
      "step": 0.1,
      "width": "half"
    },
    {
      "id": "operatingExpense",
      "label": "Annual operating expense ratio",
      "type": "percent",
      "defaultValue": 0.5,
      "min": 0,
      "max": 20,
      "step": 0.01,
      "width": "full"
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "endingValue",
      "label": "Ending value",
      "format": "currency",
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "totalPrincipal",
      "label": "Total principal contributed",
      "format": "currency"
    },
    {
      "id": "totalContributions",
      "label": "Contributions after the initial investment",
      "format": "currency"
    },
    {
      "id": "netReturn",
      "label": "Net return",
      "format": "currency"
    },
    {
      "id": "netIrr",
      "label": "Net IRR",
      "format": "percent",
      "digits": 3
    },
    {
      "id": "salesCharges",
      "label": "Front-end sales charges",
      "format": "currency"
    },
    {
      "id": "deferredCharge",
      "label": "Deferred sales charge",
      "format": "currency"
    },
    {
      "id": "operatingExpenses",
      "label": "Estimated operating expenses",
      "format": "currency"
    },
    {
      "id": "totalFees",
      "label": "Total estimated fees",
      "format": "currency"
    },
    {
      "id": "grossGrowth",
      "label": "Gross investment growth",
      "format": "currency"
    }
  ],
  "formula": {
    "expression": "Balanceₜ = Balanceₜ₋₁ × (1 + r_net,m) + net contributions",
    "variables": [
      {
        "symbol": "r_net,m",
        "meaning": "monthly rate equivalent to gross annual return minus the operating expense ratio"
      },
      {
        "symbol": "net contributions",
        "meaning": "cash contributions after front-end sales charges"
      },
      {
        "symbol": "expense ratio",
        "meaning": "annual operating expense rate reflected in the projected net return"
      }
    ],
    "note": "Net IRR is solved from the investor's monthly cash outflows and final redemption value. The dollar expense figure is estimated separately from a gross-return tracking balance."
  },
  "examples": [
    {
      "label": "Reproducible default-input example (not a personal recommendation)",
      "inputs": {
        "initialInvestment": 20000,
        "annualContribution": 0,
        "monthlyContribution": 1000,
        "annualReturn": 5,
        "holdingYears": 5,
        "holdingMonths": 0,
        "salesCharge": 2,
        "deferredSalesCharge": 0,
        "operatingExpense": 0.5
      }
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "label": "Investor.gov: Mutual fund and ETF fees and expenses",
      "url": "https://www.investor.gov/introduction-investing/investing-basics/glossary/mutual-fund-fees-and-expenses"
    },
    {
      "label": "SEC Investor Bulletin: Mutual fund and ETF fees and expenses",
      "url": "https://www.sec.gov/resources-for-investors/investor-alerts-bulletins/ib_mutualfundfees"
    }
  ]
}