ETF savings plan calculator
Enter a monthly rate, a starting amount and an expected return to see what your ETF savings plan could be worth after a number of years — and how much of that is your own money versus returns.
How the calculation works
Each year the twelve monthly rates are added to the balance, then the expected annual return is applied to the whole amount, including the returns of earlier years. That is compound interest: the returns start earning returns of their own.
Costs and taxes are not deducted. Use a lower expected return to account for them — an ETF with 0.2 % total expense ratio and a 6 % market return is closer to 5.8 %, and capital gains tax takes its share when you sell.
The result is a projection, not a forecast. Real markets return more in some years and less in others; the calculator assumes the same rate every year.
Frequently asked questions
What return should I assume?
Nobody knows future returns. Depending on the index, period and currency, long-run nominal average returns of broad equity indices have mostly fallen between 6 and 8 % a year before costs and inflation — an observation, not a statement about the future. Try several rates, for example 4 %, 6 % and 8 %, and plan with the lower end.
Are taxes and fund costs included?
No. The calculator shows gross values before tax and fund costs. Costs reduce the effective return every year, taxes are due on gains when you sell or, in some countries, on an annual lump sum.
Can I pause or change the monthly rate?
Yes, in the full simulator you can add up to three contribution periods with different amounts and intervals, and withdrawal periods after them. Open your scenario there with the button in the result panel.