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Investment Calculator
See what a starting amount plus steady monthly contributions could grow into with compound returns — before you invest a single dollar.
Please enter valid numbers: amounts of $0 or more, a return of 0% or more, and at least 1 year.
Estimates only — educational, not financial advice. An illustrative projection using the return you entered, compounded monthly. Real markets do not grow in a straight line, and returns are never guaranteed.
About this tool
What this investment calculator does
This investment calculator shows what a lump sum plus regular monthly contributions could grow into when returns compound month after month. It is the same basic math behind retirement-account projections: your money earns a return, and then that return starts earning returns of its own. The gap between what you put in and what you end up with — the growth portion — is the whole reason people invest instead of leaving cash sitting still.
A quick example
With the defaults loaded above — $1,000 to start, $200 a month, a 7% annual return over 10 years — you would contribute $25,000 of your own money, and the projection lands at about $36,626. Roughly $11,626 of that is growth rather than cash from your pocket. Stretch the same habit to 20 years and the projected total passes $100,000, with growth doing more of the work than your contributions — that is compounding earning its keep.
How to use it — 3 steps
- Enter what you could start with today — $0 is a perfectly fine answer if you are starting from scratch.
- Add a monthly contribution you could realistically keep up for years, not just for one good month.
- Pick an expected annual return and a time horizon, then watch the projected value, your total contributions, and the growth update live as you drag.
Who it is for
Beginners deciding between leaving money in a drawer and actually investing it, and anyone who wants to see why starting earlier usually beats starting bigger. It is also useful for testing a goal: if the projection falls short of what you need by a certain year, the levers — more per month, or more time — are right there on the sliders.
Honest limitations
The projection assumes a smooth, constant return. Real markets zigzag, sometimes for years at a time, and the calculator ignores taxes, fund fees, and inflation, all of which reduce the real outcome. It is a planning sketch, not a prediction and never a promise. Estimates only — educational, not financial advice.
FAQ
Investment Calculator — common questions
How does the investment calculator work?
Enter a starting amount, a monthly contribution, an expected annual return, and a number of years. The calculator applies compound growth month by month to project a future value, and shows how much of it came from your contributions versus growth. It is an illustrative projection only — real returns vary and are never guaranteed. Estimates only; not financial advice.
What annual return should I enter?
Long-run stock market averages are often quoted around 7–10% a year before inflation, but any single decade can land far above or below that. Try a few values — 4%, 7%, 10% — and plan around the cautious one rather than the exciting one.
Does the calculator include taxes, fees, or inflation?
No. It applies only the return you enter, compounded monthly. Taxes on gains, fund fees, and inflation would all reduce the real outcome, so treat the projected value as an optimistic sketch, not a forecast.
How is the money compounded?
Monthly. Each month the balance grows by one-twelfth of the annual return you entered, and then your monthly contribution is added. That is why the growth portion accelerates so noticeably over longer time horizons.
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