401(k) Plan Fee Calculator — All-In Cost vs Benchmark

What does your 401(k) plan really cost, and who is paying for it?

Enter your funds, recordkeeper, advisor and admin fees. You get the all-in cost as a percent of assets and per participant, how it compares with an editable size benchmark, and what the gap does to an average participant's balance, so you can walk into the next plan committee meeting with a number instead of a feeling.

Calculated in this browser tab. No account, no upload. The example is made up. A first-pass screen, not an ERISA fee audit.

1. Your funds

One per line: fund name, plan balance in dollars, expense ratio % (type 0.45 for 0.45%). Balances add up to plan assets.

Funds

2. Other fees

From your 408(b)(2) disclosure. Leave at zero what you do not pay.

Participants with a balance

Recordkeeper, asset-based (basis points)

Recordkeeper, flat per year ($)

Recordkeeper, per participant per year ($)

Advisor, asset-based (basis points)

Advisor, flat per year ($)

TPA, audit and other, per year ($)

Non-fund fees the employer pays ($ per year)

3. Benchmark and projection

Benchmark table: all-in percent of assets by plan size (illustrative, edit it)

These targets are an illustrative planning aid, not a legal standard and not a published survey figure. Replace them with a benchmarking report you trust.

Projection years

Gross return before fees (% a year)

Contributed per participant per year ($)

Enter your funds and fees, or load the example, then click Calculate plan cost.

The rules this applies, and what it leaves out

ERISA section 404(a) asks plan fiduciaries to ensure fees are reasonable for the services received and to review them on a prudent process. Section 408(b)(2) requires service providers to disclose what they are paid.
Total cost here is fund expense ratios plus recordkeeper, advisor and admin fees, divided by plan assets.
Not modelled: the quality of services, revenue-sharing credits and ERISA budget accounts, per-transaction fees, taxes, or participant-specific fees such as loan setup. No percentage is a safe harbor.

Common questions

What is a reasonable 401(k) plan fee?

There is no legal safe-harbor percentage. ERISA asks plan fiduciaries to make sure fees are reasonable for the services received and to review them periodically. Industry surveys show cost falling as plan size rises. This tool lets you edit an illustrative benchmark table.

What fees does a 401(k) plan pay?

Fund expense ratios, recordkeeping and administration, advisor fees, and audit or other plan expenses. Some are paid by participants out of returns and some by the employer; this tool adds them all and shows who bears what.

Where do I find my plan's fees?

The 408(b)(2) disclosure your recordkeeper and advisor must give you, the participant fee disclosure (404a-5), and the fund fact sheets. Revenue sharing can hide a recordkeeper fee inside a fund expense ratio.

Why do small differences matter?

Fees come out of return every year, so a 0.5 percentage point gap compounds. The tool shows the difference for an average participant over the years you choose.

Do I have to benchmark my plan?

Fiduciaries must follow a prudent process to review fees; many plan committees compare to benchmarking data every few years. This tool is a first-pass screen, not a benchmarking report.

Is my data uploaded?

No. Everything runs in your browser tab and nothing is sent anywhere. There are no accounts.

Is this legal or financial advice?

No. It is a planning estimate from numbers you enter. It is not an ERISA fee audit. Talk to your ERISA counsel or an independent fiduciary adviser before acting.