Tools · Investing

Wealth Over Time

See what small, regular amounts can turn into when growth earns growth. Pick a starting amount, a monthly amount and a timeline, then compare starting today with starting ten years from now. It illustrates how compounding works; it does not predict what any investment will earn.

Last reviewed: You set the returnEducational only: an illustration, not a forecast.

What you start withMoney you could invest today. $0 is fine.
What you addAdded at the end of every month. Even $25 shows the effect.
How long
Expected yearly return

7% is roughly the long-run historical average for diversified stocks after inflation. History is not a promise.

This is your assumption, not a forecast. "Return" is how much your money grows in a year, as a percentage. Try a lower number to see a more cautious picture.

After 30 years at 7% a year

$252,111

$1,000 today plus $200 a month could grow to about this much, if your money earned 7% every year. This illustrates compounding; it is not a forecast.

Start now vs start 10 years later

Same amounts, same return. The only difference is when the clock starts.

Start today

$252,111

30 years of growth. $73,000 put in.

Start in 10 years

$108,224

20 years of growth. $49,000 put in.

The cost of waiting $143,887

Starting now means putting in $24,000 more of your own money, and ending up with $143,887 more. Those first 10 years do the most work, because their growth has the longest time to grow again.

Where the money comes from

Money you put in
$73,000
Growth earned
$179,111

Growth makes up about 71% of the final balance. That is money your money earned, not money you saved.

Year by year

  • Growth
  • Money you put in
  • Starting 10 years later
Your balance year by yearBalance each year for 30 years: $252,111 at the end, of which $73,000 is money put in and $179,111 is growth. A dashed line shows the same plan started 10 years later, ending at $108,224.$0$75k$150k$225k$300kLate start051015202530Years from today
Year-by-year table
YearPut inGrowthBalance
5$13,000$2,736$15,736
10$25,000$11,627$36,627
15$37,000$29,241$66,241
20$49,000$59,224$108,224
25$61,000$106,740$167,740
30$73,000$179,111$252,111

An illustration of how compounding works, not a prediction. Real returns go up and down, some years are negative, and no investment is certain to earn the rate you pick. Fees and taxes are left out.

How this works

  • Compounding means growth on your growth. Each month your balance earns a little, and next month that little bit earns too. Over decades, that snowball does more of the work than your deposits.
  • The return is your assumption. The yearly rate you pick is split into 12 equal monthly steps (7% a year becomes about 0.58% a month). The same rate applies every month. Real markets never move in a straight line; some years drop.
  • Deposits go in at the end of each month. The starting amount is invested on day one.
  • The start-later comparison keeps everything the same except the clock: same amounts and return, 10 fewer years, ending on the same date.
  • Left out on purpose: fees, taxes and inflation. Fees and taxes shrink real results. A TFSA lets investment growth stay tax-free, which is why it pairs well with long-term saving.

This calculator is education, not advice. It illustrates how compounding works and does not predict what any investment will earn.

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