Investing calculator

Investment Calculator

Estimate how a lump sum, regular contributions, or mutual-fund-style investing may grow over time. It shows projected value, total contributions, estimated growth, inflation-adjusted value, fee drag, and downloadable Excel results. Returns are assumptions, not guarantees.

Lump sum growth Monthly contributions Goal planning Mutual fund-style investing Inflation-adjusted value Any currency
Project my investment See a worked example

Full formula shown — returns are not guaranteed.

Calculator

Educational projection only — not investment, tax, or financial advice, and no fund recommendation. Returns are assumptions, not guarantees, and real results vary with markets, fees, taxes, inflation, and timing.

Your lump sum8.0% · 10 yrs

A single one-off amount, your expected return, and how long it stays invested.

$
8.0%

Use a cautious long-term assumption. Not guaranteed; higher returns usually mean higher risk.

10 years

Longer horizons give earlier money more time to compound.

%

Shows the future amount in today's purchasing power.

Compounding, fees & taxAnnually

How the return compounds, plus optional fees and a simplified tax on the total gain.

How often the return compounds.

%

Platform / advisory cost. Reduces the effective return.

%

Simplified estimate taken from the total gain at the end. Real tax varies by country and account.

Portfolio allocation (optional)Growth · 6.4%

Split your money across asset classes to get a weighted expected return and a risk label. Educational only — no recommendation implied.

Stocks / equity
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%
Bonds / fixed income
%
%
Cash / money market
%
%
Real estate / REITs
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%
Other / custom
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%
GrowthWeighted return 6.4% · total 100%

About 65% sits in growth assets (stocks, property, other). Diversifying across asset classes and rebalancing periodically can reduce risk, but does not guarantee a return.

Formula-backed projectionInflation-adjusted resultsFee & tax impact shownChecked vs SEC · FINRA · BLSUpdated June 2026Educational estimate — not investment advice

What this means

  • About 54% of your projected value comes from growth and 46% from the money you put in — over this horizon, compounding is doing most of the work.
  • Inflation meaningfully erodes buying power: at 3.0% inflation, $215,892 is worth about $160,644 in today's money — roughly 26% less. Judge progress against the real value.
  • At 8.0%, money roughly doubles about every 9.0 years (Rule of 72).

Principal vs growth

Stacked yearly balance

Principal vs growth
YearInvestedGrowthValue
1$100,000$8,000$108,000
2$100,000$16,640$116,640
3$100,000$25,971$125,971
4$100,000$36,049$136,049
5$100,000$46,933$146,933
6$100,000$58,687$158,687
7$100,000$71,382$171,382
8$100,000$85,093$185,093
9$100,000$99,900$199,900
10$100,000$115,892$215,892
Show data as a table
Principal vs growth
YearInvestedGrowthValue
1$100,000$8,000$108,000
2$100,000$16,640$116,640
3$100,000$25,971$125,971
4$100,000$36,049$136,049
5$100,000$46,933$146,933
6$100,000$58,687$158,687
7$100,000$71,382$171,382
8$100,000$85,093$185,093
9$100,000$99,900$199,900
10$100,000$115,892$215,892

Nominal vs real value

Inflation-adjusted balance over time

Nominal vs real value
YearNominalReal
Y1$108,000$104,854
Y2$116,640$109,944
Y3$125,971$115,281
Y4$136,049$120,878
Y5$146,933$126,746
Y6$158,687$132,898
Y7$171,382$139,350
Y8$185,093$146,114
Y9$199,900$153,207
Y10$215,892$160,644
Show data as a table
Nominal vs real value
YearNominalReal
Y1$108,000$104,854
Y2$116,640$109,944
Y3$125,971$115,281
Y4$136,049$120,878
Y5$146,933$126,746
Y6$158,687$132,898
Y7$171,382$139,350
Y8$185,093$146,114
Y9$199,900$153,207
Y10$215,892$160,644

Scenario comparison

Future value under different assumptions

Scenario comparison
ScenarioFuture valueReal value
Conservative return$179,085$133,256
Base case$215,892$160,644
Optimistic return$259,374$192,999
Higher inflation$215,892$132,539
Higher fee$206,103$153,360
Show data as a table
Scenario comparison
ScenarioFuture valueReal value
Conservative return$179,085$133,256
Base case$215,892$160,644
Optimistic return$259,374$192,999
Higher inflation$215,892$132,539
Higher fee$206,103$153,360

Scenario table

Investment scenario comparison with returns and inflation-adjusted values
ScenarioReturnFuture valueReal valuevs base
Conservative return6.0%$179,085$133,256-$36,808
Base case8.0%$215,892$160,644—
Optimistic return10.0%$259,374$192,999+$43,482
Higher inflation8.0%$215,892$132,539+$0
Higher fee8.0%$206,103$153,360-$9,789

Risk & volatility range

An educational range around your base case — not a Monte Carlo simulation or a forecast.

%
%
%
%

Conservative

$148,024

Base case

$215,892

Optimistic

$283,942

Bad-year path

$139,930

Projection range over time

Low, base, high, and a bad-year sequence-risk path

Projection range over time
YearLowBaseHighBad year
1$104,000$108,000$111,000$108,000
2$108,160$116,640$123,210$116,640
3$112,486$125,971$136,763$81,648
4$116,986$136,049$151,807$88,180
5$121,665$146,933$168,506$95,234
6$126,532$158,687$187,041$102,853
7$131,593$171,382$207,616$111,081
8$136,857$185,093$230,454$119,968
9$142,331$199,900$255,804$129,565
10$148,024$215,892$283,942$139,930
Show data as a table
Projection range over time
YearLowBaseHighBad year
1$104,000$108,000$111,000$108,000
2$108,160$116,640$123,210$116,640
3$112,486$125,971$136,763$81,648
4$116,986$136,049$151,807$88,180
5$121,665$146,933$168,506$95,234
6$126,532$158,687$187,041$102,853
7$131,593$171,382$207,616$111,081
8$136,857$185,093$230,454$119,968
9$142,331$199,900$255,804$129,565
10$148,024$215,892$283,942$139,930

Educational scenario range — not a Monte Carlo simulation, forecast, or guarantee. The bad-year path applies a single one-year shock and a recovery return to show how the order of returns (sequence risk) can change outcomes.

Year-by-year projection

Each year's contributions, growth, projected value, and inflation-adjusted value.

Investment growth projection by year
YearContributionsReturnEnding balanceReal valueTotal invested
1$0$8,000$108,000$104,854$100,000
2$0$8,640$116,640$109,944$100,000
3$0$9,331$125,971$115,281$100,000
4$0$10,078$136,049$120,878$100,000
5$0$10,884$146,933$126,746$100,000
6$0$11,755$158,687$132,898$100,000
7$0$12,695$171,382$139,350$100,000
8$0$13,711$185,093$146,114$100,000
9$0$14,807$199,900$153,207$100,000
10$0$15,992$215,892$160,644$100,000

How to read your result

Pick the mode that matches your situation — Lump Sum for a one-time investment, Contributions for a regular amount plus an optional starting balance, Goal to solve for what it takes to hit a target, or Mutual Fund to see the drag from an expense ratio. Whichever mode you use, read the projected value alongside the inflation-adjusted (real) value: a large nominal figure decades out buys less than it looks like it does, and real CAGR shows how fast your purchasing power is actually growing rather than the headline nominal rate. If fees or tax apply, check the scenario comparison to see how sensitive the outcome is to those drags before treating any single number as the answer. For monthly SIP-specific planning, step-ups, and contribution sensitivity, the dedicated regular-investment calculator goes deeper than this page's Contributions mode.

Formula used for investment growth

The projection is built from the standard time-value-of-money formulas below. When inflation, fees, an expense ratio, step-ups, or tax are enabled, the calculator applies the projection step-by-step across a monthly schedule rather than relying on a single closed-form equation.

Lump sum future value

FV = P × (1 + r)ᵗ

A single amount P grows at the effective rate r for t years. With monthly or continuous compounding the calculator uses the matching effective rate.

Regular contributions

FV = PMT × [ ((1 + i)ⁿ − 1) / i ]

The future value of a stream of contributions, where i is the periodic rate and n the number of periods. Beginning-of-period contributions are multiplied by (1 + i).

Real value & real CAGR

Real = FV / (1 + π)ⁿ · Real CAGR = (1 + r) / (1 + π) − 1

Converts the nominal projection into today’s purchasing power and shows growth after inflation π.

Worked example (Lump Sum)

Suppose you invest a lump sum of $100,000 for 10 years at an expected 12% annual return, with 6% inflation. Figures are rounded; the live calculator shows exact numbers.

Future value

~$310,585

Total gain

~$210,585

Inflation-adjusted value

~$173,400

Real CAGR after inflation

~5.7%

Using the Rule of 72, money at 12% roughly doubles every six years (72 ÷ 12), so over 10 years the nominal balance more than triples. But after 6% inflation, the real value is about $173,400 — judge the goal against that figure, not the headline $310,585.

Assumptions

  • Projections apply a step-by-step monthly schedule when inflation, fees, an expense ratio, step-ups, or tax are enabled, rather than relying on a single closed-form equation.
  • Real (inflation-adjusted) value and real CAGR strip out the inflation rate you enter: Real = FV / (1 + π)ⁿ.
  • Optional tax is a simplified flat rate applied to the total gain at the end of the horizon.
  • Mutual Fund mode deducts an annual expense ratio (and optional exit load) directly from returns.

Limitations

This tool estimates the compounding math of growing money. It does not model:

  • Country-specific tax rules on gains, dividends, or withdrawals
  • Employer match calculations and contribution limits (401(k)/IRA/pension)
  • The withdrawal / drawdown phase of retirement
  • Portfolio rebalancing across multiple assets
  • Highly volatile investments where year-to-year swings dominate the outcome

Frequently asked questions

What is an investment calculator?

It is a tool that projects how an investment could grow over time from the figures you enter — a starting amount, regular contributions, an expected return, a time horizon, and assumptions for inflation and fees. It shows the future value, total invested, growth, and inflation-adjusted value. The output is an educational projection, not a forecast or a guarantee.

Does it include inflation?

Yes. With inflation adjustment on, it shows the inflation-adjusted (real) value — what the projected balance could buy in today’s money — and the real CAGR. A large future balance buys less after years of rising prices, so the real value is often the better gauge of progress.

How does the expense ratio affect mutual fund returns?

An expense ratio is an annual percentage the fund charges, deducted from returns. Even a small ratio compounds against you: over decades, a 1% expense ratio can remove a meaningful share of the final value. The Mutual Fund mode shows the drag versus a no-fee version and a fee-sensitivity table.

Are the returns guaranteed?

No. Investment returns are not guaranteed and can be negative. The smooth growth shown here assumes a constant return, which real markets do not deliver. Actual results vary with market performance, fees, taxes, inflation, and timing. Use the figures as an illustration, not a promise.

Is a lump sum better than investing gradually?

It depends. In steadily rising markets, investing a lump sum early can win because the money works sooner. In volatile markets, spreading contributions can reduce timing risk. For most people investing from income, regular contributions are the natural fit. This is general context, not a recommendation.

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Read the guide

For why identical total contributions can grow to very different amounts depending on timing, see SIP vs Lump Sum Investment Calculation: What the Numbers Actually Show.

Investment disclaimer

Returns are assumptions, not guarantees. Actual results may vary because of market performance, taxes, fees, expense ratios, inflation, and timing. This is an educational projection, not investment advice, and it does not recommend any fund, product, or strategy.

How we calculate · Found an error? email us

Learn more

SIP vs Lump Sum Investment Calculation: What the Numbers Actually Show

SIP or lump sum? How each is calculated, why the same money invested differently grows differently, and how to model both with a compounding calculator.

Read the guide

Authorship & verification

Written and maintained by

  • Formula and examples verified on 22 June 2026
  • Educational estimate only

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