INVESTOR LEARNING TOOL

Give your money time.

Try a starting amount, growth rate and regular investment. See what inflation changes—and how long your goal could take.

Compound calculator

Display currency

Contribution scheduleThis amount is added once each selected period.

Starting investment (USD)0 – 1,000,000,000,000Amount per contribution (USD)0 – 1,000,000,000Annual growth rate (%)-99 – 100Annual inflation (%)0 – 50Years invested1 – 100Your target amount (USD)1 – 1,000,000,000,000,000

How this works

Growth is an effective annual rate, converted to the chosen contribution interval. Contributions arrive at each interval’s end and stay the same cash amount. Model years use 12 monthly, 26 biweekly, 52 weekly or 365 daily intervals; this is not a calendar-date schedule. Today’s buying power = future balance ÷ (1 + inflation)^years. Currency only changes the display; it does not convert money.

Future balance$46,610After 20 years

Buying power in today’s money$25,8073% · Annual inflation (%)

Total you invest$10,000Investment growth: $36,610

Growth over time

Future moneyToday’s buying power

Year · Annual growth after inflation: 4.85%

How long could it take?

A million in the future can buy less than a million today. The right column estimates when your balance could buy what the target buys now.

Target	Future-money target	Target in today’s buying power
$100,000	30 years	48 years 7 months
$1,000,000	59 years 11 months	97 years 2 months

Targets are checked at each contribution interval for up to 100 years, independently of the chart’s selected time span.

Year-by-year breakdown

Year	Added this year	Growth / loss this year	Total you invest	Year-end balance	Buying power in today’s money
Starting balance	—	—	$10,000	$10,000	$10,000
1	$0	$800	$10,000	$10,800	$10,485
2	$0	$864	$10,000	$11,664	$10,994
3	$0	$933	$10,000	$12,597	$11,528
4	$0	$1,008	$10,000	$13,605	$12,088
5	$0	$1,088	$10,000	$14,693	$12,675
6	$0	$1,175	$10,000	$15,869	$13,290
7	$0	$1,269	$10,000	$17,138	$13,935
8	$0	$1,371	$10,000	$18,509	$14,611
9	$0	$1,481	$10,000	$19,990	$15,321
10	$0	$1,599	$10,000	$21,589	$16,064
11	$0	$1,727	$10,000	$23,316	$16,844
12	$0	$1,865	$10,000	$25,182	$17,662
13	$0	$2,015	$10,000	$27,196	$18,519
14	$0	$2,176	$10,000	$29,372	$19,418
15	$0	$2,350	$10,000	$31,722	$20,361
16	$0	$2,538	$10,000	$34,259	$21,349
17	$0	$2,741	$10,000	$37,000	$22,386
18	$0	$2,960	$10,000	$39,960	$23,472
19	$0	$3,197	$10,000	$43,157	$24,612
20	$0	$3,453	$10,000	$46,610	$25,807

This is an illustration using constant rates you choose. Actual returns vary and can be negative. Taxes and fees are excluded; enter a growth rate after fees if you want to account for them. Results are estimates, not a promise.