Free Investment Calculator
Project future value of a lump sum plus regular contributions.
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Result
Future value
$343,778.24
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Short answer
Future value is the compounded lump sum plus the future value of the contribution annuity, at the chosen return rate and horizon.
What is the Investment Calculator?
Projects what an investment grows to when you both start with a lump sum and add money each month at an assumed return.
How does the Investment Calculator work?
Compound the lump sum monthly at the return rate. Add the future value of the monthly contribution stream.
Formula
Variables
PInitial lump sumPMTMonthly depositiMonthly ratemMonths (years × 12)
Explanation
Adds compounded growth of the starting balance to the future value of the monthly-contribution annuity.
Examples
Example 1: $10k + $500/mo, 8% for 20 yr
FV ≈ $343k on ~$130k in contributions.
Applications
- Brokerage projections
- IRA / 401(k) planning
- Emergency fund pacing
Advantages
- Combines lump-sum and dollar-cost-averaging effects
- Isolates growth from contributions
Limitations
- Uses a fixed rate — real returns swing
- Ignores taxes and inflation unless the rate is real
Common mistakes
- Extrapolating recent bull-market returns as the long-run rate
Tips
- Use 6–7% real (after-inflation) as a conservative long-run US equity assumption
Related concepts
The Investment Calculator sits inside the Finance Calculators hub, in the investing & retirement cluster. Growing capital and planning for withdrawal. Understanding the terms below makes the output easier to interpret and easier to compare against neighbouring measures.
Practical use cases and industry applications
Understanding Investment
Projects what an investment grows to when you both start with a lump sum and add money each month at an assumed return. Within finance calculators, investment belongs to the investing & retirement cluster, where it shares terminology and assumptions with closely related tools.
Learning how investment is calculated
Adds compounded growth of the starting balance to the future value of the monthly-contribution annuity. Working through the variables one at a time — P, PMT, i, m — makes the result reproducible by hand and easier to sanity-check.
Using investment to make a decision
Brokerage projections IRA / 401(k) planning Emergency fund pacing Because outputs depend on the assumptions you enter, run more than one scenario before committing to a figure.
How investment compares with related measures
compound growth, asset allocation, withdrawal rate, yield all describe adjacent aspects of investing & retirement. Comparing this calculator's output against those measures — using the related tools listed on this page — prevents a single metric from being read in isolation.
Frequently asked questions
How should I handle inflation?
Either use a real (after-inflation) return, or discount the future value manually by expected inflation.
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