What's the difference between nominal and real value?

Nominal value is the raw dollar figure your investment grows to. Real value adjusts that figure for inflation, showing what it would actually buy in today's purchasing power.

Is this the same as the compound interest calculator?

It uses the same underlying growth math, but is framed around investment contributions and adds the nominal-versus-real toggle, which matters more for longer time horizons like investing than for shorter-term savings goals.

Investment Return Calculator

Project growth in nominal or inflation-adjusted terms.

This tool provides estimates for informational purposes only and is not financial or tax advice.

Initial investment

Monthly contribution

Expected annual return

Time horizon

years

Inflation rate

Show real (inflation-adjusted) value

Nominal value

$137,573

Total contributions

$64,000

Total growth

$73,573

Compound Interest

See how contributions and time compound into real growth.

Retirement Savings

Project your balance at retirement, in today's dollars or future ones.

50/30/20 Budget

Split take-home pay into needs, wants, and savings.

How this calculator works

This calculator projects the future value of an investment, growing your initial amount and monthly contributions at your expected annual return, compounded monthly.

The nominal value is the straightforward projected dollar total. Flip on the real value toggle to see that same total adjusted for inflation - divided by the compounding effect of your assumed inflation rate over the same number of years. Real value tends to matter more the longer your time horizon is, since inflation's effect compounds too.

As with any projection, the expected return you enter drives the result heavily. Try a conservative and an optimistic rate side by side to get a sense of the range of realistic outcomes, rather than treating either as a guarantee.

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How this calculator works