In today's dollars
How much of the ending balance came from cash input versus growth.
| Year | Total Contributions | Interest Earned | Real Value | Balance |
|---|
Derived directly from the current projection inputs.
Use these notes when comparing scenarios or discussing the result with an advisor.
Nominal return is fixed across the full horizon. Real-world returns will vary year to year.
Inflation adjustment is a present-value translation, not a separate investment return assumption.
Compounding frequency changes how often growth is credited, while contributions are still modeled monthly.
Quick answers about how this projection works and what the numbers mean.
Learn more: Read the complete guide →
The projection starts with your initial principal, applies the selected growth rate across the full time horizon, and adds monthly contributions along the way. Interest is then calculated on both prior principal and previously earned growth.
More frequent compounding credits growth more often, which slightly increases the ending balance when rate and time are held constant. The difference is usually modest, but it becomes more visible over long horizons.
Nominal future value tells you the raw ending balance. Inflation-adjusted value translates that number into today's purchasing power so you can judge what the projection may actually buy later.
This calculator assumes contributions are added at the end of each month. If your deposits happen earlier, the actual ending value may come out slightly higher.
Yes. Any long-term savings plan with recurring deposits and a target rate assumption can be modeled here. The result is a planning estimate, not a guaranteed outcome.
No. The projection is deterministic. It does not model taxes, advisor fees, sequence-of-returns risk, or variable returns. Use it as a scenario tool, not a promise.
The growth math on this page is cross-checked against standard compound-interest formulas, periodic-contribution projection logic, and consumer investing guidance published for long-term savings estimates. The calculator models deterministic growth scenarios from your assumptions, but it does not replace actual account performance, tax treatment, fees, or investment-risk disclosures.
Used as a federal reference point for initial investment, monthly contribution, rate, time horizon, and compounding-frequency projection inputs.
Open the Investor.gov calculatorUsed for the plain-language definition of compound interest and the reinvestment logic that drives growth over time.
Read the Investor.gov compound-interest definitionUsed for framing this calculator as a planning tool driven by user assumptions rather than guaranteed future returns.
Browse the Investor.gov calculator libraryUsed for the purchasing-power context behind the inflation-adjusted value shown alongside nominal future balances.
View the BLS inflation calculator