Investment calculator

How much will I have? Enter a starting amount, a monthly contribution, an expected annual return and a time period. The calculator projects the final balance, the total you put in, the total growth and a year-by-year table. You can raise contributions by a percentage each year, for example 3% to keep pace with raises, and see the result in today's dollars after inflation.

How much do I need to save per month? Switch modes, enter a goal such as $500,000 for retirement or $40,000 for a down payment, and the calculator shows the monthly contribution needed.

All calculations run in your browser. The results are estimates for planning and are not financial advice.

Start with $10,000, invest $500 a month, assume a 6% average annual return, for 20 years, compounded monthly.

1. The initial $10,000 grows to about $33,102.
2. The monthly contributions grow to about $231,020.
3. Projected balance: about $264,122.
4. You contributed $130,000; the remaining $134,122 is growth.

Goal mode: to reach $500,000 in 20 years at 6% with the same $10,000 head start, you would need to invest about $1,011 a month.

The expected return is the biggest assumption, so test a few. Some reference points:

• High-yield savings accounts and CDs pay a fixed or variable rate set by the bank.
• Bonds have historically returned less than stocks, with smaller swings.
• Stocks have historically offered higher long-term returns but can lose value for years at a time.

Past performance does not guarantee future results. Many planners run a cautious, a middle and an optimistic scenario, for example 4%, 6% and 8%, and plan around the cautious one.

$264,122 in 20 years will not buy what it buys today. Enter an expected inflation rate to see the balance in today's dollars. At 2.5% inflation, the example above is worth about $161,200 in today's money.

A common shortcut is the real return: your expected return minus inflation. A 6% return with 2.5% inflation is roughly a 3.5% real return. Check how prices actually changed in the past with the inflation calculator.

• Fees. Expense ratios and advisory fees reduce returns every year; subtract them from the expected return.
• Taxes. Growth in a taxable account may be taxed along the way; 401(k), IRA, Roth IRA and 529 accounts follow their own rules.
• Volatility. Real returns arrive unevenly, and the order of good and bad years matters when you withdraw.
• Employer match. If your employer matches 401(k) contributions, include the match in your monthly contribution.

For a single deposit with a fixed rate, the compound interest calculator shows the effect of compounding frequency.

• Revisit the plan yearly. Update the starting amount with your actual balance and rerun the projection.
• Raise contributions with income. The annual increase field shows how much a 2–3% yearly bump adds over time.
• Separate goals. Run the calculator once for each goal, such as retirement, a home and college, because time frames and risk levels differ.
• Keep an emergency fund outside investments. Money you may need within a few years is usually better in savings or CDs.