Growing what you have
Saving, investing and retirement calculators
Project compounding, investment growth, and retirement savings.
Saving, investing and retirement calculators
3 calculators
About these calculators
These tools project forward rather than backward. They take what is saved now, what is added regularly, a return assumption, and a time horizon, and compound them.
The assumption matters more than the arithmetic. A projection is only as good as the return and inflation figures it is given, and small changes to either move a long-horizon result substantially — which is why the calculators below expose those inputs rather than hiding a default inside the result.
Which tool answers what
| Calculator | What it estimates |
|---|---|
| Compound Interest Calculator | See how savings could build over time from compounding and regular contributions, using the rate you enter. An educational estimate, not a forecast. |
| Investment Return Calculator | See how an investment could grow from your starting amount, contributions, and the return rate you enter. An estimate for learning, not a forecast. |
| Retirement Calculator | See what your savings could add up to by retirement, and how far that is from your target. An educational estimate based on the numbers you enter. |
Common questions
How does compounding actually work?
Compounding means returns are calculated on the accumulated balance, including returns already earned, rather than on the original amount alone. Because the balance grows, the amount each period is calculated on grows too, which is why the effect is more pronounced over longer horizons.
How much difference does the return assumption make?
A great deal over a long horizon, because the assumed rate is applied repeatedly. This is why these are projections rather than predictions: changing the rate by a small amount changes a multi-decade result by a large one. Testing more than one rate shows the spread.
Why do these tools ask about inflation separately?
A projected balance in future currency is not the same as what it buys. Separating an inflation assumption from the return assumption lets a result be read in present-day terms, which is the more useful figure when the horizon is measured in decades.
What does contributing monthly change?
Regular contributions add new principal that then compounds for whatever time remains, so a contribution made early compounds for longer than an identical one made later. The calculators model a starting balance and recurring contributions separately for that reason.
Other decisions
What do I actually take home?
Estimate take-home pay, salary deductions, tax withholding, and employer payroll cost.
Can I buy this home?
Estimate home affordability, mortgage payments, down payment, loan-to-value, and closing costs.
How do I manage or improve my existing mortgage?
See amortization, payoff, extra payments, recasts, points, and rate-adjustment scenarios.
Should I refinance or use home equity?
Compare refinance options, break-even timing, equity access, HELOCs, and cash-out choices.
What will this loan cost me?
Estimate payment, APR, repayment schedule, and total loan cost.
How do I get out of debt?
Plan payoff, minimum payments, balance transfers, consolidation, and debt ratios.