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Investment Growth Calculator – Project Your Future Wealth

Project the value of your portfolio using your starting balance, annual return, time horizon, and recurring contributions.

How this investment calculator works

Use this investment growth calculator to model how regular deposits, compound returns, and time can grow your portfolio over the years.

Formula: This estimate combines your starting investment, recurring deposits, and compound growth using a standard future-value model with periodic compounding.

Assumptions: The calculator assumes a fixed annual rate, consistent periodic deposits, and no taxes, fees, or external withdrawals. Actual results can vary based on market performance and account type.

Worked example: A $25,000 starting balance, 7% annual return, 15 years, and $500 monthly contributions produces a projected future value that reflects both your saved contributions and compound growth.

  • Starting value: Your existing investment balance before new contributions.
  • Years: The time you plan to keep your money invested.
  • Return rate: Annual growth assumption for the investment.
  • Contribution: Recurring deposits added over time.
  • Projected value: Estimated ending balance before taxes and fees.
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Optional: test whether your current plan can reach a future target.

What the result means

The projected value shows what your investment could be worth if the assumptions hold. It is most useful for comparing planning scenarios rather than predicting an exact market outcome.

Related calculators

Savings calculator for short-term goal planning, Retirement calculator for long-term income planning.

Frequently asked questions

  • Does this account for inflation? No. It shows nominal growth only, so you may want to adjust your return expectation for inflation.
  • Does it include taxes or fees? No. Those can materially reduce real returns and are worth factoring into your planning.

Last updated: 2026-09-01. This tool uses a simplified compounding model intended for planning and comparison, not guaranteed investment advice.

Why steady contributions matter more than perfect timing

Compounding rewards time in the market far more than trying to predict short-term price swings. An investor who contributes consistently over decades, even through downturns, generally ends up ahead of someone waiting for the "right moment" to invest, simply because more time lets each contribution compound for longer.

The assumed rate of return in this calculator is a long-term average, not a guarantee for any specific year. Real markets move in cycles, with some years posting losses and others posting outsized gains, so the smooth growth curve shown here is a simplification meant for planning, not a forecast.

  • Stress-test with a lower rate: Rerun the numbers at a more conservative return to see how sensitive your goal is to market performance.
  • Automate contributions: Dollar-cost averaging removes the temptation to time entries and keeps the plan on track.
  • Match risk to your timeline: A shorter time horizon usually calls for a more conservative assumed return.

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