Estimate future value, total contributions, interest earned, and the cost of waiting.
Future value
$462,290
Total contributions
$160,000
Interest earned
$302,290
Extra from starting earlier
$228,860
AI-style insight
Your current scenario ends near $462,290. About 65% of that balance comes from growth, which means the habit matters, but time is doing real work too.
What this means: this is a rule-based planning note, not personalized financial advice.
Enter your starting balance, monthly contribution, expected annual return, and investment period. The calculator compounds your balance over time and separates your own deposits from investment growth.
Core formula
Future value = P(1 + r/n)^(nt) + monthly contributions compounded over the same period.
A person investing $500 per month for 25 years at 7% may see a large share of the final balance come from growth rather than deposits.
FAQ
The MVP uses nominal returns. You can lower the expected return to create a rough inflation-adjusted scenario.
Monthly is a practical default for most personal planning scenarios.
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