Quick answer
Project investment growth from a rate of return you choose. Enter initial amount, annual interest rate, years and compounding and the investment calculator returns projected value, total deposited and interest earned.
Related tools: CAGR Calculator: Compound annual growth rate between two values. Compound Interest Calculator: Future value with compound interest and regular contributions. Retirement Calculator: Projected savings at retirement from your contributions and expected return.
How to use the Investment Calculator
- Enter initial amount ($) (0 or more).
- Optionally, enter monthly contribution ($) (0 or more).
- Enter annual interest rate (%) (between 0 and 100).
- Enter years (between 0 and 100).
- Choose compounding: Monthly, Annually, Semi-annually, Quarterly, Daily and Weekly.
- Press Calculate to see the result, and use Reset to start again.
| Input | What to enter | Allowed values |
|---|---|---|
| Initial amount | A number, in $ | ≥ 0 |
| Monthly contribution (optional) | A number, in $ | ≥ 0 |
| Annual interest rate | A number, in % | ≥ 0, ≤ 100 |
| Years | A number | > 0, ≤ 100 |
| Compounding | Choose one: Monthly; Annually; Semi-annually; Quarterly; Daily; Weekly | Starts at Monthly |
Formula and method
Formula
A = P(1 + r/n)^(nt) + C·((1 + r/n)^(nt) − 1) ÷ (r/n)
IEEE-754 double precision; money shown to cents, rates to 4 decimals. Results are estimates, not financial advice.
Compound growth with end-of-period contributions equivalent to the monthly amount spread over each compounding period.
Worked examples
These examples are verified: each one is an automated test case that the live calculator must reproduce exactly.
Example 1
Inputs: Initial amount = 10000; Annual interest rate = 5; Years = 10; Compounding = Monthly.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Projected value | $16,470.09 |
| Total deposited | $10,000.00 |
| Interest earned | $6,470.09 |
Example 2
Inputs: Initial amount = 0; Monthly contribution = 100; Annual interest rate = 6; Years = 10; Compounding = Monthly.
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Projected value | $16,387.93 |
| Total deposited | $12,000.00 |
| Interest earned | $4,387.93 |
The first line is the headline result (projected value). Below it the investment Calculator lists total deposited and interest earned, which describe the same case from other angles. IEEE-754 double precision; money shown to cents, rates to 4 decimals. Results are estimates, not financial advice.
A projection, not a prediction
The rate of return here is the rate you choose, not something the calculator knows. Real investment returns vary from year to year, can be negative and are not guaranteed, so test several rates instead of relying on one number.
$10,000 growing for 10 years at different assumed returns
Every figure in this table comes from running this calculator, so it matches what the form returns.
| Assumed annual return (%) | Projected value | Interest earned |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | $14,908.33 | $4,908.33 |
| 6 | $18,193.97 | $8,193.97 |
| 8 | $22,196.40 | $12,196.40 |
What happens with invalid input
These messages are produced by the calculator itself, so you know what to fix.
- Initial amount: left empty shows "Enter initial amount." beside that field and no result.
Choosing between the Investment Calculator and similar calculators
Each row shows what a related calculator on this site asks for and what it returns, so you can pick the one that matches your question.
| Calculator | You enter | It returns |
|---|---|---|
| [CAGR Calculator](/finance/cagr-calculator/) | beginning value, ending value and years | CAGR |
| [Compound Interest Calculator](/finance/compound-interest-calculator/) | initial amount, annual interest rate and years | Future value |
| [Retirement Calculator](/finance/retirement-calculator/) | current age, retirement age and current savings | Projected savings at retirement |
| [401(k) Calculator](/finance/401k-calculator/) | annual salary, your contribution and employer matches this share of your contribution | Projected balance |
| [Financial Calculator](/finance/financial-calculator/) | solve for, periods per year and payments | Future value (FV) |
Background: interest, saving and investing
A nominal rate (APR) does not include the effect of compounding; the annual percentage yield (APY) does: APY = (1 + r/n)^n − 1. A 5% nominal rate compounded annually is 5.000%, semi-annually about 5.063%, quarterly about 5.095% and monthly about 5.116%, so more frequent compounding helps, but with diminishing returns.
The rate you enter in a projection is an assumption, not a promise: real returns vary and can be negative. Fees and taxes are not modelled unless the page says so.
Assumptions and limitations
- 0% rate gives simple accumulation
- Contributions optional
Results are estimates for planning, not financial advice. Lender terms, fees, taxes and rounding rules can change real figures, so confirm important numbers with your lender or a licensed adviser.
If a required value is empty, not a number, or outside its allowed range, the form marks that field with a message and shows no result instead of a misleading number. The automated checks deliberately try invalid entries for initial amount to confirm this.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Investment Calculator calculate?
Project investment growth from a rate of return you choose. It returns Projected value, Total deposited and Interest earned.
What formula does the Investment Calculator use?
A = P(1 + r/n)^(nt) + C·((1 + r/n)^(nt) − 1) ÷ (r/n). Compound growth with end-of-period contributions equivalent to the monthly amount spread over each compounding period.
What do I need to enter in the investment Calculator?
You enter Initial amount ($), Annual interest rate (%), Years and Compounding. Optional: Monthly contribution ($).
How is the result rounded or limited?
IEEE-754 double precision; money shown to cents, rates to 4 decimals. Results are estimates, not financial advice. 0% rate gives simple accumulation.
What are the limits of this calculator?
0% rate gives simple accumulation. Contributions optional.
What does the “Compounding” option change?
It sets how the investment is worked out. The choices are Monthly, Annually, Semi-annually, Quarterly, Daily and Weekly.
What is an example of a investment result?
With initial amount 10000, annual interest rate 5, years 10 and compounding Monthly, the projected value is $16,470.09.
Can I rely on this calculator for a decision?
Results are estimates for planning, not financial advice. Lender terms, fees, taxes and rounding rules can change real figures, so confirm important numbers with your lender or a licensed adviser. For this calculator in particular: 0% rate gives simple accumulation.
Related calculators
- CAGR Calculator — Compound annual growth rate between two values.
- Compound Interest Calculator — Future value with compound interest and regular contributions.
- Retirement Calculator — Projected savings at retirement from your contributions and expected return.
- 401(k) Calculator — Projected 401(k) balance with salary growth and employer match.
- Financial Calculator — Time-value-of-money solver for N, rate, present value, payment or future value.
- IRR Calculator — Internal rate of return of an investment from its yearly cash flows.
- Present Value Calculator — Today's value of a future amount at a given discount rate.
- Mutual Fund Calculator — Growth of a fund investment after its expense ratio.
Sources
- Standard time-value-of-money relations (e.g. Brealey, Myers & Allen, Principles of Corporate Finance)
Content last reviewed 2026-11-04. Formulas and worked examples are checked by automated tests against independently computed values.