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Behaviour gap calculator: what bad timing costs

Morningstar found investors earned about 1.2 percentage points a year less than the funds they owned, because of when they bought and sold. Enter your own numbers to see what a gap like that adds up to.

£
£
years
%
points a year

Change any number and the answer updates.

Working it out…

How it works

The calculator grows your money month by month at the fund’s return, then again at the fund’s return minus the gap, and compares the two.

The 1.2-point default comes from Morningstar’s study of US funds over the 10 years to the end of 2024. Your own gap could be bigger, smaller or zero. Steady, automatic investing is the simplest way to keep it small. Our behaviour gap lesson explains the study.

The return you enter is an assumption, not a forecast. Real returns go up and down from year to year.

Results are illustrations from the numbers you enter, not forecasts or advice. Real returns go up and down, and you could get back less than you put in.

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