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Compound growth calculator

Compounding means growth is added to the balance, so the next month's growth is calculated on a larger amount. Enter a monthly amount, a number of years and a hypothetical yearly return to see what the arithmetic produces.

A yearly return is the percentage a balance grows or shrinks in a year. The one here is a hypothetical yearly return, not a forecast.

$

A whole number from 1 to 60.

%

A hypothetical yearly return, not a forecast. Real returns vary from year to year.

$

At these inputs

A hypothetical yearly return of 7%, not a forecast, over 30 years.

Ending value
$243,994
Total put in
$72,000
Growth (ending value minus total put in)
$171,994

Year by year

Total put in, value and growth every 5 years and at the final year, at a hypothetical yearly return, not a forecast
YearTotal put inValueGrowth
5$12,000$14,319$2,319
10$24,000$34,617$10,617
15$36,000$63,392$27,392
20$48,000$104,185$56,185
25$60,000$162,014$102,014
30$72,000$243,994$171,994

How it is calculated

  • The hypothetical yearly return is divided by 12 and applied once a month.
  • The monthly amount is added at the end of each month.
  • The starting amount, if any, compounds from the first month.
  • Fees, taxes and inflation are not included, so a real balance would differ.
  • Real returns are not steady. They vary from year to year, and some years are negative.

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Educational illustration with hypothetical inputs. Not financial advice.