Investment Calculator
Put in a starting amount, what you add each month and a return you think is realistic. You’ll see the balance, how much of it is growth, and what it’s worth in today’s dollars.
About $220,792 in today’s money at 3.0% inflation.
Year-by-year table
| Year | Added | Growth that year | Total contributed | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $6,000 | $919 | $16,000 | $16,919 |
| 2 | $6,000 | $1,419 | $22,000 | $24,339 |
| 3 | $6,000 | $1,956 | $28,000 | $32,294 |
| 4 | $6,000 | $2,531 | $34,000 | $40,825 |
| 5 | $6,000 | $3,148 | $40,000 | $49,973 |
| 6 | $6,000 | $3,809 | $46,000 | $59,782 |
| 7 | $6,000 | $4,518 | $52,000 | $70,299 |
| 8 | $6,000 | $5,278 | $58,000 | $81,578 |
| 9 | $6,000 | $6,094 | $64,000 | $93,671 |
| 10 | $6,000 | $6,968 | $70,000 | $106,639 |
| 11 | $6,000 | $7,905 | $76,000 | $120,544 |
| 12 | $6,000 | $8,910 | $82,000 | $135,455 |
| 13 | $6,000 | $9,988 | $88,000 | $151,443 |
| 14 | $6,000 | $11,144 | $94,000 | $168,587 |
| 15 | $6,000 | $12,383 | $100,000 | $186,971 |
| 16 | $6,000 | $13,712 | $106,000 | $206,683 |
| 17 | $6,000 | $15,137 | $112,000 | $227,820 |
| 18 | $6,000 | $16,665 | $118,000 | $250,486 |
| 19 | $6,000 | $18,304 | $124,000 | $274,790 |
| 20 | $6,000 | $20,061 | $130,000 | $300,851 |
| 21 | $6,000 | $21,945 | $136,000 | $328,796 |
| 22 | $6,000 | $23,965 | $142,000 | $358,760 |
| 23 | $6,000 | $26,131 | $148,000 | $390,892 |
| 24 | $6,000 | $28,454 | $154,000 | $425,345 |
| 25 | $6,000 | $30,945 | $160,000 | $462,290 |
Ask about your numbers
Get a plain-English read of the result above: what drives it, what to try changing. It sends only the numbers in this calculator and your question. Educational only, not financial advice.
The year your money starts out-earning you
Early on, almost all of your balance is money you put in. But each year the returns are calculated on a bigger pile, so at some point the growth in a single year is larger than everything you deposited that year. After that crossover, the portfolio is doing more of the saving than you are.
Move the sliders. A higher return pulls the crossover in sharply; a bigger deposit doesn’t move it at all, because deposits and the growth they earn scale together.
Crossover in year 11
In that year you add $6,000; growth adds $6,452. By year 40 the balance is $1,312,407, of which $240,000 came from you.
What the numbers mean
Balance is the nominal dollar amount the account would show. Growth earned is everything above what you deposited: interest, dividends and price gains combined into a single average return. Today’s money divides the balance by cumulative inflation so you can compare it with prices now.
The chart stacks the two sources. The plum part only rises as fast as your deposits; the orange part accelerates, which is why the last ten years of a 30-year plan usually add more than the first twenty.
Three levers, in order of power
- Time. Starting five years earlier often beats saving 50% more per month. Try moving Years from 25 to 30.
- Return net of costs. A 1% annual fee on a 7% return is a 14% cut in the rate, and over 30 years it removes roughly a quarter of the ending balance.
- Contribution size and step-ups. Raising deposits 3% a year, roughly in line with pay rises, adds a lot without a painful jump.
Ready for specifics? The 401(k) calculator adds an employer match, the Roth IRA calculator applies 2026 limits, and the retirement calculator works out what balance you actually need.
Every WealthWise calculator
Questions people ask
How does an investment calculator work?
It compounds your balance month by month: each month the balance earns your expected return divided across the year, then your deposit is added. Repeating that for every month of your time horizon gives the final balance, and splitting it into what you deposited versus what the returns added shows how much work compounding did.
What rate of return should I use?
Nobody knows future returns. The S&P 500 has returned roughly 10% a year on average since 1926 before inflation (about 7% after inflation), but with large swings and long flat stretches. Many planners test 5–7% for a stock-heavy portfolio and lower for bonds. Try several rates rather than trusting one.
Should I use the nominal or inflation-adjusted result?
Use the inflation-adjusted figure when you want to know what the money will feel like to spend. A $1 million balance in 30 years buys roughly what $412,000 buys today at 3% inflation.
Does this include taxes and fees?
No. Enter a return that is already net of fund fees (for example 7% minus a 0.5% expense ratio = 6.5%). Taxes depend on the account: 401(k) and Roth IRA growth is sheltered, while a taxable brokerage account pays tax on dividends and realised gains.
Are my numbers saved?
Your inputs are remembered in this browser only (localStorage) so the page opens where you left it. Nothing is sent to a server unless you press “Explain it” in the Ask panel. You can clear saved inputs from the Privacy page.