Free tool
Recurring Investment Goal Calculator
See what a monthly contribution grows into with compounding, or the contribution needed to hit a goal. Pre-tax and after-tax together.
$500
Dividend reinvestment
Reinvest (Total Return)
On compounds the total return (price plus reinvested dividends). Off compounds price only, and dividends pile up separately as after-tax cash each year.
Taxable account (long-term, 15%)
Portfolio (you build it)
This mix is one you built yourself. We do not recommend tickers, weights, or returns, we only compute the assumptions you enter. With a single holding it equals one plain rate.
Preset returns are since-inception results for each holding (as of 2026-08), so the period differs by holding. Because each fund launched at a different time and lived through different markets, a shorter-history holding can look higher. Past results do not guarantee the future, so a more conservative assumption is recommended for long-term planning.
A prudent long-term assumption is usually lower than past results. Try lowering each row’s expected return to a conservative value (for example 6 to 7% a year) and compare.
Compounds at a 7% total return, dividends included.
Annual return including dividends (Total Return). For a conservative assumption, 6-7% per year is a common reference.
Weighted assumption: TR 7.00% · div 2.00%p · price 5.00%
Rate used for compounding: 7.00% (Reinvest (Total Return))
Results
Contributions
$120K
Pre-tax value
$260K
After-tax estimate
$239K
Year-by-year
Show tax detail
Tax is a rough estimate assuming long-term (1yr+) holding at a 15% federal rate. Actual long-term capital-gains and qualified-dividend rates are 0/15/20% depending on income, plus possible 3.8% NIIT and state taxes. Tax-advantaged accounts (IRA, 401k, Roth) differ. With dividend reinvestment on, dividends are treated as part of the total-return assumption and no separate dividend tax is deducted. Not tax advice.
Please read
- This calculator is a simple projection of the assumptions you enter. It is not investment advice or a guarantee of returns, and it does not recommend any ticker or mix.
- Preset returns (VOO, SCHD, QQQ, and so on) are since-inception results for each holding (as of 2026-08), so the period differs by holding, and they do not guarantee the future.
- A combined return is a simple weighted average approximation. It ignores rebalancing, correlation, and volatility.
- Figures are nominal amounts, not inflation-adjusted real values.
- Tax is a rough estimate assuming long-term (1yr+) holding at a 15% federal rate. Actual long-term capital-gains and qualified-dividend rates are 0/15/20% depending on income, plus possible 3.8% NIIT and state taxes. Not tax advice.
- Tax-advantaged accounts such as an IRA, 401(k), or Roth are treated differently and are not modeled here. This calculator covers a plain taxable account only.
How it is calculated
Each monthly contribution is assumed to compound monthly. With dividend reinvestment on, it compounds the total return (price plus reinvested dividends); off, price alone compounds and dividends pile up separately as after-tax cash each year. With several holdings, the assumed returns are combined by weight.
The return is an assumption you enter yourself. Presets like VOO or SCHD are just buttons that fill in past performance for reference, and they do not guarantee the future. This tool does not recommend any ticker or mix, it only computes the numbers you enter.
Example
Contributing $500 a month at an expected 7% for 20 years with dividends reinvested reaches about $260K pre-tax. Reversing it, a $500K goal in 20 years needs about $960 a month under the same assumption.
Good to know
- Figures are nominal. After inflation, the real purchasing power in the future is lower.
- Taxes are a rough approximation for a taxable account: long-term (held 1yr+) capital gains at a 15% federal rate and qualified dividends at 15%. Actual rates run 0/15/20% by income, with a possible 3.8% NIIT and state taxes on top.
- Tax-advantaged accounts like an IRA, 401(k), or Roth can be more tax-favorable, but this calculator does not cover them.
Related terms
Beyond assumptions, want to prove who is actually right?
See the leaderboard