Defaults are teaching numbers, not a forecast. Change any input to see which lever moves terminal wealth most.
Educational illustration — not advice, a quote or a guarantee.
Scenario gallery
Teaching presets — tap to load inputs, then tweak. Not forecasts.
Growth instrument
Sticky levers + live curve — teaching model, not advice.
Nominal vs real growth
- Nominal balance428,336
- Real (inflation-adj.)255,057
- Total contributions108,000
- Rule of 72 doubling years10.3
Nominal balance
Real (inflation-adj.)
Total contributions
Scenario A / B
Two lives on one chart — change one lever at a time.
Nominal A vs B
Goal-seek years
Solve for years to reach a target balance (teaching model, not advice).
Printable year table
Year-by-year teaching table from the levers above. Not a loan schedule and not advice.
| Year | Start | Paid in | Net growth | End (nominal) | End (real) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10,000 | 3,600 | 816 | 14,416 | 14,102 |
| 2 | 14,416 | 3,600 | 1,126 | 19,142 | 18,383 |
| 3 | 19,142 | 3,600 | 1,457 | 24,199 | 22,851 |
| 4 | 24,199 | 3,600 | 1,812 | 29,611 | 27,515 |
| 5 | 29,611 | 3,600 | 2,192 | 35,403 | 32,384 |
| 6 | 35,403 | 3,600 | 2,598 | 41,601 | 37,465 |
| 7 | 41,601 | 3,600 | 3,033 | 48,234 | 42,769 |
| 8 | 48,234 | 3,600 | 3,498 | 55,333 | 48,304 |
| 9 | 55,333 | 3,600 | 3,996 | 62,929 | 54,082 |
| 10 | 62,929 | 3,600 | 4,529 | 71,059 | 60,113 |
| 11 | 71,059 | 3,600 | 5,100 | 79,759 | 66,408 |
| 12 | 79,759 | 3,600 | 5,710 | 89,069 | 72,979 |
| 13 | 89,069 | 3,600 | 6,363 | 99,032 | 79,837 |
| 14 | 99,032 | 3,600 | 7,062 | 109,695 | 86,995 |
| 15 | 109,695 | 3,600 | 7,811 | 121,105 | 94,466 |
| 16 | 121,105 | 3,600 | 8,611 | 133,316 | 102,264 |
| 17 | 133,316 | 3,600 | 9,468 | 146,384 | 110,404 |
| 18 | 146,384 | 3,600 | 10,385 | 160,369 | 118,900 |
| 19 | 160,369 | 3,600 | 11,366 | 175,334 | 127,767 |
| 20 | 175,334 | 3,600 | 12,416 | 191,350 | 137,023 |
| 21 | 191,350 | 3,600 | 13,539 | 208,490 | 146,684 |
| 22 | 208,490 | 3,600 | 14,742 | 226,832 | 156,767 |
| 23 | 226,832 | 3,600 | 16,029 | 246,460 | 167,292 |
| 24 | 246,460 | 3,600 | 17,406 | 267,466 | 178,278 |
| 25 | 267,466 | 3,600 | 18,880 | 289,946 | 189,744 |
| 26 | 289,946 | 3,600 | 20,457 | 314,003 | 201,712 |
| 27 | 314,003 | 3,600 | 22,145 | 339,748 | 214,204 |
| 28 | 339,748 | 3,600 | 23,951 | 367,299 | 227,243 |
| 29 | 367,299 | 3,600 | 25,884 | 396,783 | 240,852 |
| 30 | 396,783 | 3,600 | 27,953 | 428,336 | 255,057 |
Net growth is end minus start minus contributions, after the fee in the model. Monthly deposits are summed to the year.
Frequently asked questions
Is this calculator financial advice?
No. Outputs are educational scenarios, not personalised advice or a forecast.
Why include fees and inflation?
Gross returns overstate what compounds for you. Net rate and real purchasing power are the levers that matter.
What does the Rule of 72 number mean?
It estimates years to double at a constant rate (72 ÷ rate %). It ignores fees, inflation and changing contributions.
How should I use the scenario gallery?
Load a teaching preset, then change one input at a time to see which lever moves terminal wealth most.
Browse topics → Which compounding lens fits you? Compare topics