Investment Return Calculator

How much will your investments actually be worth in 20 or 30 years? This calculator projects your portfolio's nominal growth and shows the inflation-adjusted real value — so you can plan retirement and financial goals with clear, honest numbers.

Investment Return Calculator

Initial Investment

Annual Contribution

Benchmark Presets

Annual Return Rate — 10.5%

Inflation Rate — 3%

Investment Period — 30 years

Nominal Value after 30 years

$1,285,215

Inflation-adjusted: $678,668

Contributions

$190,000

Gains

$1,095,215

ROI

+576.43%

Nominal vs inflation-adjusted growth

NominalReal (inflation-adj.)

How to Use This Calculator

1 Enter your starting investment amount.
2 Add an annual contribution if you'll keep investing over time.
3 Select or type a return rate — use benchmarks like S&P 500 (~10.5%), bonds (~4.5%), or HYSA (~4.8%).
4 Set an inflation rate to see the purchasing-power-adjusted value.
5 Set your investment horizon in years.

Investor Tips

✓ Fees matter enormously over long periods — a 1% annual fee vs. 0.05% (index fund) can cost 20–25% of your final portfolio.
✓ Don't try to time the market — time in the market beats timing the market almost every time.
✓ Tax-loss harvesting and tax-advantaged accounts (Roth IRA, 401k) can significantly boost real returns.
✓ Diversification across asset classes reduces volatility without necessarily reducing long-term returns.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is ROI (Return on Investment)?

ROI measures the gain from an investment relative to its cost. Formula: ROI = (Final Value - Total Invested) / Total Invested × 100%. A 200% ROI means you tripled your money.

What is CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate)?

CAGR is the steady annual rate that would grow an investment from its beginning to ending value over a given period. It smooths out year-to-year volatility into a single annualized figure for comparison.

What is the historical average stock market return?

The S&P 500 has averaged roughly 10–10.5% annually before inflation (7–7.5% real) since 1926. Individual years vary wildly — positive ~70% of years, sometimes dropping 30–50% in bad years.

How does inflation affect investment returns?

Inflation erodes purchasing power. A 10% nominal return with 3% inflation yields a ~6.8% real return. Always plan using real (inflation-adjusted) returns to understand what your money will actually buy.