Investing Foundations · 1 min read
What Is an Expense Ratio (And Why 0.5% Matters More Than You Think)
How a tiny fee quietly eats decades of returns.
Key takeaways
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How a tiny fee quietly eats decades of returns.
Why this matters
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The breakdown
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What to do next
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Dana Oyelaran
Former product lead, personal finance fintech; CFEI-certified financial education instructor
Dana writes the Everyday Money and Investing Foundations coverage at Thrifty Thinker. Before that, she spent seven years building budgeting tools for a fintech startup and burned out on jargon-heavy advice she couldn't use herself.
Published April 11, 2026
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