Investment Return Projection ⛳️

When you start investing, the big question is: "How much money do I need to reach $100,000? Or even $1,000,000?"

Charlie Munger once said, "The first $100K is a bitch, but you gotta do it." He's right – getting to that first milestone is the hardest part. But once you're there, compound growth starts working in your favor.

This calculator shows you exactly how your investments can grow based on different scenarios.

Four key inputs for the compound investment return chart:

1. Annual Return Rate (B) – Your expected yearly return as a decimal

• Example: 0.10 = 10% annual return, 0.20 = 20% annual return

• Historical stock market average is around 10%

2. Frequency (C) – How often returns compound

• 1 = yearly

• 4 = quarterly

• 12 = monthly

• Higher frequency = slightly more growth due to compound interest

3. Initial Value (A) – Your starting amount

• $1,000, $10,000, $50,000 – whatever you're starting with

4. Additional Contributions (E) – How much you add each period

• If you're adding $500 per month, set this to $500 and frequency to 12

Play with the numbers to see different scenarios:

• What if I start with $10,000 and add $500/month at 10% returns?

• How long until I hit $100,000?

• What about $1,000,000?

The visual projection shows you the path from where you are to where you want to be. It's motivating and helps you set realistic goals based on what you can actually contribute.

Why compound interest matters:

The earlier you start, the more time your money has to grow. Someone who invests $10,000 at age 25 will have way more at age 65 than someone who invests $30,000 at age 45 – even though they invested less money. Time in the market beats timing the market.