From time to time I like to create handy little Javascript-based apps for myself to do financial calculations or various other things. Here’s my latest one which you can use in the comfort of your browser without any plugins (tested in Firefox and Opera9):

This is a simple Mutual Fund / ETF fee, growth and return, investment calculator that I’ve been working on. You can compare two mutual funds or ETFs (ETF = exchange traded fund) and their growth characteristics over time given several factors like ETF, expected return, investment horizon, and even market volatility. You can set some simple buy and sell fees to simulate commissions from your discount or online broker. The calculator can give you an idea of how much of an impact fees can have on your investment as time goes on.

Go to the calculator