Saving & growth calculator

See what steady saving could become.

Estimate how your starting balance and monthly contributions could grow, then compare the effect of lower and higher return assumptions.

Your inputs

Build your estimate

Results update after you pause typing. Use the comparison to explore a range—not to predict best- or worst-case returns.

Starting point and saving

Starting amount

Money already saved or invested at the start.

Monthly contribution or withdrawal

Use a positive amount to add money or a negative amount to withdraw it.

Time invested

Growth assumptions

Expected annual return

A steady rate used for this illustration. Actual returns vary from year to year.

Compare returns above and below

This does not change the main estimate. Your chart will compare 5% and 9% with your 7% expected return.

Compounding frequency

How often the model applies interest and adds a proportional share of your monthly contributions.

Your growth story

Starting with $10,000 and adding $250 each month, your balance could grow to $63,368 in 10 years. You put in a net $40,000; estimated compounding adds $23,368.

This is an illustration based on a steady return—not a prediction of actual investment performance.

Key results

Where the money comes from

Estimated ending balance: $63,368At the 7% expected annual return.
Your net contributions: $40,000Starting amount plus deposits, minus withdrawals.
Estimated investment growth: $23,368Ending balance minus your net contributions.

Your path

How the balance could grow

At the expected 7% annual return, the modeled ending balance is $63,368. The comparison range is $55,291 at 5% to $72,892 at 9%.

View annual projection data

Projected balance by year and annual return
Year	Lower (5%)	Expected (7%)	Higher (9%)
0	$10,000	$10,000	$10,000
1	$13,581	$13,821	$14,065
2	$17,346	$17,918	$18,511
3	$21,303	$22,312	$23,375
4	$25,463	$27,023	$28,694
5	$29,835	$32,074	$34,513
6	$34,431	$37,491	$40,877
7	$39,263	$43,300	$47,839
8	$44,341	$49,528	$55,453
9	$49,679	$56,206	$63,782
10	$55,291	$63,368	$72,892

How this was calculated

Future value formula

For a non-zero annual return, the calculator uses this compound growth formula:

A equals P times open parenthesis 1 plus r divided by n close parenthesis raised to n times t, plus 12 times M divided by n, times the quantity open parenthesis 1 plus r divided by n close parenthesis raised to n times t minus 1, divided by r divided by n.

A: Ending balance after the selected number of years.
P: Starting amount, or principal.
r: Expected annual return written as a decimal—for example, 7% is 0.07.
n: Number of compounding periods per year.
t: Number of years invested.
M: Monthly contribution, using a negative number for a withdrawal.

P(1 + r/n)^nt grows the starting amount across all nt compounding periods.

12M/n converts the monthly amount into the contribution added at the end of each compounding period. The remaining bracketed term compounds that stream of equal contributions.

When r is zero, there is no growth to compound, so the calculation simplifies to A = P + 12Mt.

Expected annual return: 7%
Compounding: Monthly
Lower comparison: 5%
Higher comparison: 9%

The model divides the annual return and your annualized monthly contribution across the selected number of compounding periods. Contributions are added at the end of each period. Taxes, fees, inflation, and changing market returns are not included.