Wealth multiplier.
What $1 invested today becomes at 65.
Every year of delay reduces what each dollar becomes at retirement. Enter your age and assumed return to see your personal multiplier and the cost of waiting one more year.
Worked example: At age 25, $1 invested today becomes approximately $45 by age 65 at 10% nominal return: a 45x multiplier. At age 35, the same $1 becomes $17. Waiting 10 years costs roughly 28 multiplier points on every dollar. The arithmetic is identical at any return assumption; the multipliers compress at lower rates.
How this tool works
- Multiplier formula: (1+r)^n where r is the annual rate and n is years from current age to retirement age.
- Future value of monthly investment: PMT × ((1+r/12)^(12n) - 1) / (r/12), the standard ordinary-annuity formula.
- The "cost of waiting one year" is the difference between starting today and starting one year later, holding the monthly amount constant.
- Returns shown are nominal (before inflation). Subtract 2-3% from your return assumption to estimate real purchasing power.
- Past returns are not a guarantee of future performance. The S&P 500 has averaged roughly 10% nominal since 1928, but individual decade returns range from negative to over 17%.
Not financial advice. Calculator illustrates compound interest math; past returns do not guarantee future results.
Related
HOW THIS IS CALCULATED
This tool runs entirely in your browser — no data is sent to any server. All formulas use standard financial math. Verify the methodology or inspect the source code in your browser's dev tools.