Return Needed to Break Even

If fees take 1.5%, the remaining 98.5% has to climb back to 100%. One divided by 0.985 is 1.523, so you need 1.523% — not 1.5%.

Your numbers

Round-trip fee(%)Invested()

Return to break even

1.523%

Fee

150,000

Total

10,152,284

Formula

Return to break even = (1 ÷ (1 − Round-trip fee ÷ 100) − 1) × 100

Trading often means clearing this hurdle every time. A 0.5% round trip taken twenty times a year hands over 10%.

What to enter

Input	Default	Accepted range
Round-trip fee (%)Buying and selling fees added together.	1.5	0 ~ 50
InvestedEverything you put in; include fees or the return comes out flattering.	10,000,000	0 and up

Step by step

FormulaReturn to break even = (1 ÷ (1 − Round-trip fee ÷ 100) − 1) × 100

With the default numbersReturn to break even = (1 ÷ (1 − 1.5 ÷ 100) − 1) × 100

AnswerReturn to break even = 1.523 %

Quick reference table

Results when only Round-trip fee (%) changes and everything else stays put.

Round-trip fee (%)	Return to break even (%)	Fee	Total
0.75	0.756	75,000	10,075,567
1.13	1.143	113,000	10,114,291
1.5	1.523	150,000	10,152,284
2.25	2.302	225,000	10,230,179
3	3.093	300,000	10,309,278

What each result means

Result	At default values
Return to break even (%)The rise needed just to get back to even after fees.	1.523
FeeThe fee charged, as money.	150,000
TotalEvery item added together — check whether tax or tip is inside it.	10,152,284

Common mistakes

Trading often means clearing this hurdle every time. A 0.5% round trip taken twenty times a year hands over 10%.

Glossary

Round-trip fee: Buying and selling fees added together.
Invested: Everything you put in; include fees or the return comes out flattering.
Return to break even: The rise needed just to get back to even after fees.
Fee: The fee charged, as money.
Total: Every item added together — check whether tax or tip is inside it.

Frequently asked questions

QHow is Return Needed to Break Even calculated?

Return to break even = (1 ÷ (1 − Round-trip fee ÷ 100) − 1) × 100 — If fees take 1.5%, the remaining 98.5% has to climb back to 100%. One divided by 0.985 is 1.523, so you need 1.523% — not 1.5%.

QCan you walk through an example?

With Round-trip fee 1.5%, Invested 10,000,000, the answer is Return to break even 1.523%.

QWhat do I need to enter?

Enter Round-trip fee, Invested. The result recalculates as you type, and an empty box counts as zero.

QHow much does the answer move if I change a number?

Changing only Round-trip fee (%) moves the answer to Round-trip fee (%) 0.75 → Return to break even (%) 0.756 and Round-trip fee (%) 3 → Return to break even (%) 3.093. The table below lays out five steps.

QHow are the numbers rounded?

Money is shown to the nearest whole unit, percentages to one decimal place and everything else to two. What you see is rounded; the calculation itself carries the unrounded value forward.

QAnything to watch out for?

Trading often means clearing this hurdle every time. A 0.5% round trip taken twenty times a year hands over 10%.

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Tax rates and interest conventions differ by country and product — check your contract for real transactions.