Compounding Scenarios

Start from a question,
not a blank form.

Pick a scenario below and the compound interest calculator opens with every input pre-filled. Tweak the numbers, watch the projection, and see exactly when compounding takes over.

◆ The classic≈ $600k projected

Invest $500 a month for 30 years

The single most-searched compounding question. See how a steady $500 monthly habit, with dividends reinvested, snowballs over three decades — and how little of the final number is your own money.

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◆ The goal$1M target

How to reach $1,000,000

Work backwards from a seven-figure target. Start with a lump sum and a monthly contribution, then use Goal Seek inside the calculator to solve exactly how much — or how long — it takes.

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◆ Passive income$3,000 / mo income

Live off dividends — $3,000 / month

The FI number for dividend investors. Set a monthly passive-income target and watch the projection mark the exact year your dividends alone cover it, no share sales required.

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◆ FIRE20-year sprint

FIRE calculator — retire early

Financial Independence, Retire Early. A growth-tilted, aggressive-contribution scenario over a compressed horizon — the maths behind quitting the 9-to-5 a decade ahead of schedule.

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◆ The lessonTime > timing

The real cost of waiting 5 years

Time beats timing. Run a modest plan over a long horizon, then shorten it and compare — the gap is the price of procrastination, and it is usually shocking.

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◆ DRIPYield-on-cost effect

The dividend snowball

Reinvest every dividend, let a rising payout compound the yield on your original cost, and see the inflection point where the portfolio grows more from itself than from new deposits.

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Prefer to start from scratch?
Open the full calculator, or learn the theory behind the numbers.