What is counted as a contribution?

The initial investment plus every assumed end-of-month contribution.

What are projected gains?

Ending nominal value minus entered cash. They are mathematical gains under the scenario, not promised profit.

What does inflation-adjusted value mean?

It estimates the ending amount's purchasing power in starting-year currency using the constant inflation rate you enter.

Are taxes and investment fees included?

No. The model also excludes trading costs, fund expenses and account rules.

Why use monthly compounding?

It aligns the calculation with the page's fixed monthly-contribution planning intent. Other cash-flow conventions can differ.

Investment Growth Scenario Calculator

Separate the cash you contribute from gains implied by your own constant-rate assumption.

Contributions versus projected gains

Optional inflation adjustment

No promised return

CurrencyInitial investmentMonthly contributionAssumed contribution at the end of every month.Hypothetical annual growth rateA constant nominal assumption you provide; actual returns can be negative or vary.Projection term in yearsShow an inflation-adjusted resultAssumed annual inflation rateUsed only when inflation adjustment is selected.

How to Project an Investment Scenario

Enter a hypothetical set of monthly cash flows. The result is a mathematical illustration, not a probability-weighted forecast.

Select a currency for display; values are not converted.

Use a range of scenarios

Because actual returns vary and losses are possible, compare lower and higher assumptions rather than relying on one rate.

Projected Growth, Not Expected Performance

This canonical investment calculator answers a planning question: what would a starting amount and fixed monthly contributions become if a constant user-entered rate applied with monthly compounding? Unlike the compound-interest page, its output emphasizes contributions versus gains and optional inflation-adjusted purchasing power. It does not select investments, estimate risk, use historical market data or predict returns.

Investment Projection Examples

Ten-year monthly contribution scenario

Hypothetical assumptions

initialInvestment:10000

monthlyContribution:500

projectedAnnualRate:7%

years:10

Scenario output

$106,639.02 nominal value

$70,000 is entered cash and $36,639.02 is growth implied by the constant-rate scenario.

Inflation adjustment

Hypothetical assumptions

nominalValue:100000

inflationRate:2%

years:10

Scenario output

$82,034.83 in starting-year purchasing power

The optional result discounts nominal dollars by the entered constant inflation rate.

Rates are assumptions

A smooth constant rate does not represent market volatility or sequence-of-returns risk.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. It applies a constant rate that you enter; actual returns can vary and may be negative.

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Monthly Investment Projection

The engine applies a fixed monthly rate and an end-of-month contribution, then separately discounts the final nominal amount when requested.

Formula

Bₖ = Bₖ₋₁(1 + r/12) + C

Monthly balance

Bₖ = Bₖ₋₁(1 + r/12) + C

Total contributed

contributed = initial investment + C × 12 × years

Inflation-adjusted value

real value = nominal value / (1 + π)^t

Scientific Background

Investor.gov explains that investments involve risk and that compound-growth calculators are illustrations. Inflation adjustment expresses a future nominal amount in approximate starting-year purchasing power under a constant inflation assumption.