finance calculator
Investment / Savings Comparison
Compare two side-by-side saving or investing scenarios with different starting balances, monthly contributions, and return assumptions.
Results
- Case A future value
- $231,020
- Case A contributions
- $120,000
- Case A growth
- $111,020
- Case B future value
- $183,387
- Case B contributions
- $120,000
- Case B growth
- $63,387
- Difference (A - B)
- $47,633
How to use this calculator
- Enter starting balance, monthly contribution, and annual return for Case A.
- Enter the same for Case B.
- Choose years to project, then compare future values and growth.
Inputs explained
- Annual return
- Average annual rate; compounded monthly for this projection.
- Monthly contribution
- Amount added each month. Set to 0 to model a one-time lump sum.
How it works
Each case compounds monthly at its annual return assumption.
We add monthly contributions and grow the starting balance; results show future value, total contributions, and growth for each case.
We also show the dollar difference between Case A and Case B at the end.
When to use it
- Comparing two investment mixes (e.g., higher-risk vs conservative) with different returns.
- Testing contribution changes between two savings strategies.
- Demonstrating the impact of return assumptions on the same monthly deposit.
Tips & cautions
- Use realistic long-term returns; higher return assumptions drive wider gaps.
- If comparing taxable vs tax-advantaged accounts, remember taxes aren’t modeled here.
- You can model pausing contributions by setting monthly to 0 for part of the comparison.
- Assumes constant monthly contributions and returns; no volatility or fees modeled.
- No taxes, inflation, or withdrawal rules included.
Deep dive
Compare two savings or investment scenarios side by side—starting balances, monthly deposits, returns—to see future value and growth.
Enter contributions and returns for two cases to find the difference in future values over time.
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