I'm trying to compare my American Funds 403b account to Vanguard. Most sites recommend using the Morning Star 10 year chart to compare funds, but it doesn't look like they account for the front load and expenses.
The American Funds fees are really alarming to me:
$ 2,500.00 Initial Investment (04/09/2007)
$19,200.00 Additions
$ 5,268.03 Withdrawls and Fees
$ 0.00 Exchanges
$ 7,159.13 Gains/Declines
$23,591.10 Ending Portfolio Balance (04/14/2016)
AMCAP, ANCFX, AGTHX, AIVSX, SMCWX all have a front load of 5.75. AIBAX is 2.5. The expenses range from .58 to 1.07.
Is there a way to roughly compare how this money would have fared over the same period of time if it would have been in something like VTSMX? It really feels like I'm just treading water when fund managers charge so much right off the bat.
Thanks,