The ETF Fee Cheat Sheet
The fair expense ratio for every kind of ETF, the cheap default in each category, and exactly what overpaying costs you over time.
Fees are the one ETF cost you fully control, and the one most people never check. This cheat sheet gives you the fair price for each type of fund, the cheap default worth owning, and the line where you're paying too much. Save it, print it, and never overpay for plain-vanilla exposure again.
What you should pay, by category
Green means the fair, cheap default. Amber is reasonable for a niche. Red is where you're usually overpaying for exposure you can get cheaper.
| Category | Cheap default | Fair fee | Overpaying above |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total US market | VTI / ITOT | 0.03% | 0.20% |
| S&P 500 | VOO / IVV | 0.03% | 0.10% |
| Total international | VXUS | 0.05–0.08% | 0.25% |
| Total US bond | BND / AGG | 0.03% | 0.15% |
| Dividend | SCHD / VYM | 0.06% | 0.35% |
| Small cap | VB / IJR | 0.05–0.06% | 0.25% |
| Nasdaq-100 | QQQM | 0.15% | 0.20%+ |
| Sector (e.g. tech) | XLK | 0.09% | 0.40% |
| REIT | VNQ | 0.13% | 0.40% |
| Short-term Treasuries (cash) | SGOV | 0.09% | 0.20% |
The cheap lane vs. the expensive lane
✅ Cheap lane (own these)
- Broad index funds: 0.02–0.10%
- A full 3-fund portfolio: under 0.05% blended
- Plain, market-cap-weighted, huge and liquid
- Examples: VTI, VOO, VXUS, BND, SCHD
⚠️ Expensive lane (know what you pay)
- Thematic / active: 0.35–0.95% (ARKK ~0.75%)
- Options-income: ~0.35% (JEPI, JEPQ)
- Leveraged: ~0.75–0.95% (SOXL, TQQQ)
- Fine as small satellites, never as your cheap core
What overpaying actually costs
Total fees on $10,000 over 30 years
Growing at 8% a year. The percentage looks tiny; the dollars don't, because the fee compounds on a growing balance for decades.
Figures are rounded illustrations, not a guarantee. The exact number depends on returns and timing. Run your own in the fee calculator. See the full math in what ETF fees actually cost.
The complete ETF fee database
Every fund above, plus dozens more: 85 ETFs across 21 categories, each with its exact expense ratio pulled live from our database. Find your fund, check what you're paying, and spot the cheaper option in the same group.
| Fund | Name | Expense ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Total US market | ||
| VTI | Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF | 0.03% |
| ITOT | iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF | 0.03% |
| SCHB | Schwab U.S. Broad Market ETF | 0.03% |
| SPTM | State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 1500 Composite Stock Market ETF | 0.03% |
| S&P 500 | ||
| VOO | Vanguard S&P 500 ETF | 0.03% |
| IVV | iShares Core S&P 500 ETF | 0.03% |
| SPY | State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust | 0.0945% |
| SPYM | State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF | 0.02% |
| Large-cap growth | ||
| VUG | Vanguard Morningstar Growth ETF | 0.04% |
| SCHG | Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF | 0.04% |
| MGK | Vanguard Morningstar Mega Cap Growth ETF | 0.07% |
| IWF | iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF | 0.19% |
| Large-cap value | ||
| VTV | Vanguard Morningstar Value ETF | 0.04% |
| SCHV | Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Value ETF | 0.04% |
| IWD | iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF | 0.19% |
| Mid-cap | ||
| VO | Vanguard Morningstar Mid-Cap ETF | 0.04% |
| IJH | iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF | 0.05% |
| Small-cap | ||
| VB | Vanguard Morningstar Small-Cap ETF | 0.05% |
| IJR | iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF | 0.06% |
| SCHA | Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF | 0.04% |
| VTWO | Vanguard Russell 2000 Index Fund ETF Shares | 0.10% |
| AVUV | Avantis US Small Cap Value ETF | 0.25% |
| Total international | ||
| VXUS | Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund ETF Shares | 0.05% |
| IXUS | iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF | 0.07% |
| VEU | Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Index Fund ETF Shares | 0.04% |
| Developed markets | ||
| VEA | Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets Index Fund ETF Shares | 0.03% |
| IEFA | iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF | 0.07% |
| SCHF | Schwab International Equity ETF | 0.06% |
| Emerging markets | ||
| VWO | Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets Index Fund ETF Shares | 0.08% |
| IEMG | iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF | 0.09% |
| EEM | iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF | 0.72% |
| Nasdaq-100 | ||
| QQQM | Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF | 0.15% |
| QQQ | Invesco QQQ Trust | 0.20% |
| Total US bond | ||
| BND | Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund ETF Shares | 0.03% |
| AGG | iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF | 0.03% |
| SCHZ | Schwab U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF | 0.03% |
| Treasuries | ||
| GOVT | iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF | 0.05% |
| VGSH | Vanguard Short-Term Treasury Index Fund ETF Shares | 0.04% |
| VGIT | Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury Index Fund ETF Shares | 0.04% |
| SGOV | iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF | 0.09% |
| BIL | State Street SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF | 0.14% |
| SHV | iShares 0–1 Year Treasury Bond ETF | 0.15% |
| TLT | iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF | 0.15% |
| Corporate & high-yield | ||
| VCIT | Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond Index Fund ETF Shares | 0.04% |
| LQD | iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF | 0.14% |
| JNK | State Street SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF | 0.40% |
| HYG | iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF | 0.48% |
| Municipal & TIPS | ||
| VTEB | Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond Index Fund ETF Shares | 0.03% |
| MUB | iShares National Muni Bond ETF | 0.07% |
| SCHP | Schwab U.S. TIPS ETF | 0.03% |
| VTIP | Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund ETF Shares | 0.04% |
| TIP | iShares TIPS Bond ETF | 0.19% |
| Dividend | ||
| SCHD | Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF | 0.06% |
| VYM | Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index Fund ETF Shares | 0.06% |
| VIG | Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund ETF Shares | 0.06% |
| DGRO | iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF | 0.08% |
| HDV | iShares Core High Dividend ETF | 0.08% |
| NOBL | ProShares S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ETF | 0.35% |
| DVY | iShares Select Dividend ETF | 0.38% |
| Sector | ||
| XLK | State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF | 0.09% |
| XLV | State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF | 0.09% |
| XLF | State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF | 0.09% |
| XLE | State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF | 0.09% |
| VGT | Vanguard Information Technology Index Fund ETF Shares | 0.10% |
| REIT | ||
| SCHH | Schwab U.S. REIT ETF | 0.07% |
| XLRE | State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF | 0.09% |
| VNQ | Vanguard Real Estate Index Fund ETF Shares | 0.13% |
| Gold | ||
| GLDM | SPDR Gold MiniShares | 0.10% |
| IAU | iShares Gold Trust | 0.25% |
| GLD | SPDR Gold Shares | 0.40% |
| Options income | ||
| JEPI | JPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF | 0.35% |
| JEPQ | JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF | 0.35% |
| QYLD | Global X NASDAQ 100 Covered Call ETF | 0.60% |
| QQQI | NEOS NASDAQ-100(R) High Income ETF | 0.68% |
| SPYI | Neos S&P 500(R) High Income ETF | 0.68% |
| Thematic & semis | ||
| SMH | VanEck Semiconductor ETF | 0.35% |
| SOXX | iShares Semiconductor ETF | 0.35% |
| ARKK | ARK Innovation ETF | 0.75% |
| BOTZ | Global X Robotics & Artificial Intelligence ETF | 0.68% |
| ICLN | iShares Global Clean Energy ETF | 0.39% |
| TAN | Invesco Solar ETF | 0.69% |
| Leveraged (know the cost) | ||
| TQQQ | ProShares UltraPro QQQ | 0.82% |
| SOXL | Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X Shares | 0.75% |
| SPXL | Direxion Daily S&P500 Bull 3X Shares | 0.91% |
| UPRO | ProShares UltraPro S&P500 | 0.89% |
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How to use this cheat sheet
Match the fund you're eyeing to its category, check its expense ratio against the fair fee here, and ask one question: am I getting something the cheap default doesn't give me? Sometimes yes: a specific strategy, a tax structure, a niche exposure. Usually no. For core, plain-vanilla holdings, the cheapest broad fund wins almost every time, because the fee is certain and the outperformance is not.
Common questions
What is a good expense ratio for an ETF?
For a broad index ETF, 0.03% to 0.10% is good, and the cheapest broad funds charge 0.02% to 0.03% (VTI 0.03%, VOO 0.03%, SPYM 0.02%). Above about 0.20% for a plain broad index fund is expensive. Niche, sector, and international funds fairly cost a little more (~0.05% to 0.15%); thematic, active, and leveraged funds run 0.35% to 0.95%.
How much do ETF fees actually cost over time?
The fee is charged on your balance every year, so it compounds. On $10,000 growing at 8% for 30 years, a 0.03% fund costs about $400 in total fees while a 0.75% fund costs roughly $9,500, and leaves you with far less. The percentage looks tiny; the dollars are large because it applies to a growing balance for decades.
What is the cheapest ETF?
Among broad, mainstream funds, the cheapest sit at 0.02% to 0.03%: SPYM (0.02%), VTI and SCHB (0.03%), VOO and IVV (0.03%), and BND and AGG (0.03%). A complete three-fund portfolio can be built for a blended cost under 0.05% a year.