401k Rollover Comparison

Left a job? See exactly what fees cost you — and whether rolling over is worth it.

When you leave an employer, your 401k doesn't disappear — it just sits there. The question is whether to leave it with the old provider or roll it over to an IRA you control. The difference often comes down to one thing: fees. Even a 1% annual fee looks harmless on paper, but compounded over 20–30 years it can quietly eat tens of thousands of dollars from your retirement. This calculator shows you the real number.

Old 401k (Leave It)

$
%
Expense ratios + admin/advisory fees combined. Check your plan documents — 0.5–1.5% is common.
$
Usually $0 — you left the employer, so no new contributions

New IRA (Roll It Over)

$
Leave blank to use the full balance. A direct rollover has no taxes or penalties.
%
Low-cost index funds at Fidelity/Vanguard/M1 run 0.03–0.1%. This is the big win.
$
New IRA contributions going forward (2024 limit: $7,000/yr)

Assumptions

%
Before fees. Historical stock market avg ~10%; 7–8% is a common conservative estimate.
Until retirement or when you plan to withdraw
%
Used to estimate after-tax value at withdrawal. Enter 0 to skip.