Portfolio Growth Calculator
Project where your whole portfolio is headed. Start from your current balance, add ongoing monthly contributions and an expected return, and see the future value, total growth and how many times over your money multiplies.
▸ Show year-by-year breakdown
| Period | Invested | Growth | Value |
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Estimates are for illustration and education only — not financial advice. Returns are assumed constant and are not guaranteed; real markets fluctuate.
Projecting a whole portfolio
Your portfolio's future value comes from three forces working together: the balance you already have, the contributions you keep adding, and the return that compounds on both. This calculator blends all three so you can see the trajectory instead of guessing.
Use a blended, realistic return
If you hold a mix of stocks and bonds, your expected return sits somewhere between them — weighted by how much you hold of each. A stock-heavy portfolio might justify a higher figure; a conservative one, lower. When in doubt, err low so reality is a pleasant surprise.
Contributions dominate early, returns dominate late
In the first years, most of your growth is simply the money you add. Later, compounding takes over and your returns can dwarf your contributions — which is why staying invested for the long haul matters so much.
To rebalance that portfolio back to its target mix, use the portfolio rebalancing calculator; to track your overall financial position, try the net worth calculator.
How portfolio growth is projected
Your future balance is the sum of two engines: the lump you already hold compounding forward, plus the future value of every contribution you'll add along the way.
Choosing a realistic return
The single most important input is your expected return — and the most common mistake is setting it too high. Blend it from what you actually hold.
Grows the projection tailwinds
- A long time horizon before you need the money
- Steady contributions that never pause
- A total-return figure including reinvested dividends
- Low costs, so more of the return stays invested
Erodes it headwinds
- Inflation quietly reducing real purchasing power
- Taxes on gains in a taxable account
- Fees and fund expenses compounding against you
- Over-optimistic return assumptions masking risk
Blend your return by allocation. If you hold 70% stocks and 30% bonds, weight a stock assumption and a bond assumption in that ratio rather than using an all-equity number. A conservative blended figure keeps your plan honest and makes reality a pleasant surprise.
Real vs nominal. The projection is in nominal dollars. To judge future purchasing power, subtract your inflation assumption from the return — a 7% nominal return with 3% inflation is closer to 4% in today's money.
How the return assumption changes everything
A $50,000 start plus $1,000/month for 25 years, at different blended returns. Small differences in rate compound into very different destinations.
| Annual return | Total contributed | Est. growth | Projected value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4% | $350,000 | ~$260,000 | ~$610,000 |
| 6% | $350,000 | ~$490,000 | ~$840,000 |
| 7% | $350,000 | ~$730,000 | ~$1,080,000 |
| 9% | $350,000 | ~$1,410,000 | ~$1,760,000 |
Illustrative figures compounded monthly and rounded. The gap between a 6% and 9% assumption is over a million dollars on the same contributions — which is exactly why a realistic, conservative rate matters more than any other input.