Skip to content
Investigator Finance

Calculator

How much could my account grow?

Pick an account, enter your age, what you have now and what you’ll add, and choose a return. You’ll see a projected balance at retirement and how much of it is growth. Have more than one account? Add up to six and see the total. Fees, inflation and yearly raises are in Advanced settings.

Educational only, not financial advice

This tool shows general math, not a recommendation for you. It isn’t financial, tax or legal advice, and real returns, fees and tax rules will differ. Talk to a qualified professional before making decisions. What you enter stays in your browser: nothing is saved or sent to us.

$
I’ll contribute

$6,000 a year.

$

2026 IRA limit: $7,500 (+$1,100 at 50 or older).

35 years to grow.

Expected yearly return
%

An assumption, not a forecast. Real returns vary and can be negative.

At 65 you could have

$787,840

In future dollars, before any tax on withdrawals.

You put in (incl. $10,000 to start)

$220,000

Growth

$567,840

  • 35 years at 6% a year, minus a 0.03% yearly fee, compounded monthly.
  • Fees cost about $5,750 over 35 years.
  • Qualified Roth IRA withdrawals are tax-free, so this balance is roughly what you’d keep.
$0$250k$500k$750k$1.0M0102030Years
BalanceMoney you put in
Year-by-year table
Balance at the end of each year
YearAgeAddedGrowth so farBalance
131$6,000$781$16,781
232$6,000$1,977$23,977
333$6,000$3,615$31,615
434$6,000$5,722$39,722
535$6,000$8,327$48,327
636$6,000$11,459$57,459
737$6,000$15,151$67,151
838$6,000$19,439$77,439
939$6,000$24,358$88,358
1040$6,000$29,946$99,946
1141$6,000$36,246$112,246
1242$6,000$43,300$125,300
1343$6,000$51,156$139,156
1444$6,000$59,861$153,861
1545$6,000$69,469$169,469
1646$6,000$80,035$186,035
1747$6,000$91,617$203,617
1848$6,000$104,278$222,278
1949$6,000$118,085$242,085
2050$6,000$133,106$263,106
2151$6,000$149,417$285,417
2252$6,000$167,098$309,098
2353$6,000$186,231$334,231
2454$6,000$206,907$360,907
2555$6,000$229,220$389,220
2656$6,000$253,269$419,269
2757$6,000$279,163$451,163
2858$6,000$307,014$485,014
2959$6,000$336,942$520,942
3060$6,000$369,074$559,074
3161$6,000$403,546$599,546
3262$6,000$440,502$642,502
3363$6,000$480,093$688,093
3464$6,000$522,482$736,482
3565$6,000$567,840$787,840
Advanced settings(fees, inflation, raises, timing)
%

Default 0.03%, the expense ratio of a low-cost total-market index fund. Add any advisory or account fee.

Lost to fees: $5,750.

%

Default 2.5%: our assumption, a bit above the Fed’s 2% goal and near CBO’s 2.3% to 2.8% CPI projections.

%

For example, 3% to keep pace with raises. Limits rise over time too, but this tool doesn’t cap future years.

Contributions go in at the

Start of period gives each deposit one extra period of growth.

Taxes, in short

  • Roth IRA and HSA: qualified withdrawals are tax-free (HSA: for qualified medical expenses).
  • Traditional IRA and 401(k): withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income.
  • Brokerage: dividends are taxed yearly, and gains when you sell, often at lower capital gains rates.
  • Other accounts: depends on the account.

This tool shows the balance before those taxes. It doesn’t model them.

Assumptions and sources

  • Steady return. The return (minus any fee) is a fixed yearly rate, split evenly across months when you contribute monthly. The 4%, 6% and 8% presets are round assumptions, not forecasts or historical averages. Real markets go up and down, and returns can be negative.
  • Contributions go in at the end of each month or year (or the start, in Advanced settings) and stay the same unless you add a yearly raise. With no fee and no raise the result matches the standard future value formula: FV = PV(1+i)n + PMT × ((1+i)n − 1) / i.
  • 2026 limits are used for the hints and the Max it out button only: IRAs $7,500 ($8,600 at 50 or older); HSAs $4,400 self-only or $8,750 family, plus $1,000 at 55 or older; 401(k) employee deferrals $24,500, plus $8,000 at 50 or older or $11,250 at ages 60 to 63. Employer and Solo 401(k) employer contributions are on top and aren’t modeled. Limits usually rise with inflation; this tool doesn’t cap future years.
  • Several accounts share your age, retirement age and return (you can override the return and fee per account). Some limits are per person, not per account: one IRA limit covers all your traditional and Roth IRAs, 401(k) employee deferrals add up across every plan you’re in, and one HSA limit covers all your HSAs. The tool flags it when your cards add up to more, assuming the accounts are all yours. The “Other / general” type has no limit and no tax treatment applied.
  • Your inputs stay in the web address so you can bookmark or share a result. They aren’t sent to us.
  • Fees. The default 0.03% matches the expense ratio of Vanguard’s Total Stock Market ETF (VTI). Other low-cost index funds are similar. Compare fee levels in the fee calculator.
  • Inflation is off by default. Turned on, it uses our 2.5% assumption: a little above the Federal Reserve’s 2% longer-run goal (measured by PCE prices) and near the CBO’s February 2026 projection of consumer price inflation at 2.8% in 2026, easing to 2.3% from 2028 on.
  • Taxes aren’t modeled. Qualified Roth IRA withdrawals and HSA withdrawals for qualified medical expenses are tax-free. Traditional IRA and 401(k) withdrawals are taxed as income. Brokerage accounts pay tax on dividends and on gains when you sell. For a deeper look, try Roth vs. traditional.

Results are estimates for education only, not financial, tax or investment advice.

Sources

Checked .