# Investment Calculator

> Project an investment from a starting amount and monthly or yearly contributions that can rise each year, with a year-by-year table and an inflation-adjusted total.

Category: Finance · Applies to: Worldwide · Last updated: 2026-10-29
Interactive calculator: https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/investment-calculator

Enter what you invest now, what you add each month or year and the return you expect. The table shows each year’s contributions, growth and balance.

Also called: Investment growth calculator.

## Inputs
- Starting amount (default 10000)
- Contribution (default 200; optional)
- Contribute (options: Monthly, Yearly; default monthly)
- Contributions made at the (options: End of period, Start of period; default end)
- Increase contributions each year by (unit %; default 0; optional)
- Expected return (unit % a year; default 7)
- Years (unit years; default 10)
- Inflation (unit % a year; default 2.5; optional)
- Currency

## Results
- End balance
- Total invested
- Investment growth
- End balance in today’s money

## Formula

```
Per-period return i = (1 + R)^(1/f) − 1;  each period: Balance = Balance × (1 + i) + C (or (Balance + C) × (1 + i) at the start);  C rises by the yearly increase each year
```

Where:
- R: expected annual return (effective)
- f: contributions per year (12 or 1)
- C: contribution per period

## Worked example
1. A 7% yearly return is 1.07^(1/12) − 1 = 0.5654% a month.
2. The 10,000 grows to 10,000 × 1.07^10 = $19,671.51.
3. 120 deposits of 200 grow to 200 × (1.005654^120 − 1) ÷ 0.005654 = $34,210.35; total $53,881.86 from $34,000 invested.
4. In today’s money: 53,881.86 ÷ 1.025^10 = $42,092.42.

**Result:** Investing $10,000 plus $200 a month at 7% a year gives about $53,881.86 after 10 years, $19,881.86 of it growth.

## What the result means

Growth overtakes contributions only after many years; the line chart shows when. Raising contributions each year in line with pay rises is often the easiest way to boost the end result.

## Assumptions and limits
- The return is the same every year and is an effective annual rate.
- Fees and taxes are not deducted; use a return net of fees.
- Real investments go up and down; a constant-rate projection shows a smooth path that markets do not follow.

## Questions

### Should I pick start or end of period?

If you invest on payday at the start of each month, choose start. It adds one period of growth to each contribution.

### How do I solve for the return or contribution I need?

Use the Finance Calculator: leave the unknown value blank and it solves for it.

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_Returns are illustrations at a constant rate, not predictions or guarantees. Investments can lose value. This is not investment advice._

Source: GM¹X CalcVerse — https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/investment-calculator