Free Financial Tool
Compound Interest Visualizer
See exactly how your money grows over time — and how much starting early is actually worth.
Common timeframes: 10 years (medium-term goal), 20 years (early career to retirement), 30–40 years (long-term retirement planning).
$325,159
Final balance after 30 years — Monthly compounding at 7%
The cost of waiting 10 years
Starting now — 30 years
$325,159
Total contributions: $82,000
Starting 10 years later — 20 years
$144,573
Total contributions: $58,000
How to use this calculator
Enter your starting investment, monthly contribution, expected annual return, and time horizon. The default 7% annual return is a reasonable long-term estimate for a diversified index fund portfolio, adjusted for historical averages. The chart shows the difference between what you put in and what compound growth adds on top — that gap is the whole story of why starting early matters more than almost anything else in personal finance. The "10 years later" comparison makes that concrete.
Free Download: First-Time Investor Cheat Sheet
Everything a first-time investor needs to know on one page — accounts, index funds, contribution limits, and the most common mistakes to avoid.