How much should you invest each month
to reach your goal?

Turn the goal into a monthly plan

A home deposit, retirement assets or a first savings milestone starts with a target. Enter what you have already saved and the time available. A required monthly contribution turns the goal into a plan you can compare with your income and spending.

The required monthly contribution answers what you need by a chosen date. The optional monthly plan answers when your actual contribution might reach the target. If the required amount is difficult to afford, enter what you can contribute and compare the estimated timeline.

If the monthly amount is too high, compare a longer timeline

These examples start with $10,000 and target $100,000. The annual return is divided by 12 for monthly compounding, contributions arrive at month-end, and taxes and fees are excluded.

A longer timeline reduces the required contribution for the same target. A higher assumed return can also reduce it, but achieving that return is a separate question. Compare the timeline, target and contribution together instead of making a plan affordable only by raising its return assumption.

How much comes from contributions and how much from assumed growth?

In the 10-year example at 3%, the initial $10,000 and additional contributions of $74,400 are supplemented by modeled growth of $15,733.

Starting assets and contributions are money you provide; investment growth is an estimate. Required contributions are rounded up to a whole currency unit, so the projected balance can slightly exceed the goal. Recalculate when actual performance or the amount you can contribute changes.

Will the target support the life you are planning?

The target is a future nominal amount. Inflation can change what it buys by the time you reach it. For retirement or long-term living costs, convert the target into today’s purchasing power with the inflation-adjusted value calculator and reconsider both the amount and timeline.

Check the purchasing power of the target → · Explore growth from regular contributions →

Required monthly contribution

The projected future value of current assets is subtracted from the target, then the remaining gap is divided by the future value of month-end contributions.

Estimated date from my plan

The optional monthly contribution is applied under the same assumptions for up to 50 years to find the first month the target is reached.

What the estimate excludes

The monthly return is held constant. Market volatility, taxes, and fees are not included.

Growing $10,000 to $100,000 in 10 years

This example assumes an 8% annual return and contributions made at each month-end.

Current assets

$10,000

Monthly contribution

$426

Target assets

$100,000

The required contribution is rounded up to a whole dollar so the projection does not fall short. The final estimated value may therefore be slightly above the target.

Frequently asked questions