See what your money becomes over time.
Set your initial investment, monthly contribution, time horizon, and expected return — and watch the numbers move. The black bars are what you put in. The gold bars are what compounding did on top.
One-time amount you start with
Added every month after the initial
How long the money stays invested
Average annual growth, before inflation/taxes/fees
Educational only. Real returns vary, are not guaranteed, and are reduced by fees, taxes, and inflation. Past performance does not predict future results.
What the numbers actually mean
The 8% default is roughly the long-run nominal return of the U.S. stock market — before inflation, taxes, and fees. After inflation, a more conservative figure is closer to 6%. The point of the exercise isn't predicting the exact number — it's seeing the shape of the curve, and how dramatically time horizon changes the answer.
Try this: keep everything constant and change the time horizon from 20 years to 40 years. The final balance roughly quadruples. That's the time value of money in action — and it's why starting earlier matters more than starting larger.
For more, read the compound growth lesson or check the time value of money glossary entry.