Compound / DCA Growth | SimpleReturns

Growth chart

Stacked by Starting Amount, Contributions, and Interest by year.

Starting Amount Contributions Interest

Year	End Balance	Contributions	Interest

Use this when you invest every month and want a first-pass estimate of long-term portfolio growth.
Use this to compare scenarios before changing contribution amount, time horizon, or return assumptions.

Monthly contribution: Amount invested each month. Typical range: 100 to 5,000 for many households.
Years: Investment duration. Typical range: 5 to 40 years for retirement planning.
Annual return: Expected average yearly return. Typical planning range: 4% to 8%.
Starting amount: Current investable balance. Typical range: 0 to 500,000+.

Monthly compounding is used and contributions are assumed at the end of each month.
Return is treated as a stable average, which is not how markets behave year to year.
Inflation, taxes, fees, and contribution changes are not included.
This is a planning model, not investment advice or a performance guarantee.

Example: Starting amount 10,000, monthly contribution 1,000, annual return 7%, period 20 years.

Result: End balance is roughly 560,000 to 570,000 depending on rounding.

Why does this look higher than my recent returns?

Short-term returns can differ a lot from long-term averages used in planning.

Can I use this for irregular contributions?

Not directly. Use average monthly contribution first, then test multiple scenarios.

Should I include emergency cash here?

Usually no. This tool is best for investable assets, not short-term emergency funds.