Save & Invest · Portfolio

Investment Calculator — Grow it, in real terms.

Project an investment portfolio with regular contributions — then see what it’s worth in today’s dollars.

What you enter

  • Initial investment
  • Monthly contribution
  • Expected return
  • Years
  • Inflation

How this is calculated

The portfolio grows monthly at your expected return with contributions added each month. We then discount the final value by your inflation assumption to show it in today's dollars — the number that tells you what the portfolio could actually buy. Returns are before tax and fees.

Common questions

Why show the inflation-adjusted number?

Because $500,000 in 20 years buys much less than $500,000 today — at 2.5% inflation, about 40% less. Planning against the nominal number is the most common way projections mislead; the today's-dollars figure is the one to anchor on.

What's a realistic return assumption?

Diversified share portfolios have returned roughly 7–9% a year over long periods; balanced portfolios less. If your assumed return is much above 8–9%, you're assuming an outcome few professional managers sustain.

How do tax and fees change the picture?

A 1% annual fee compounds into roughly 20% less wealth over 30 years. Tax applies to dividends yearly and capital gains when you sell (with a 50% discount after 12 months for individuals). Both are excluded here, so treat the result as an upper bound.

How does it rank?

Once you have your result, see how your number compares against your demographic with our full money rank — by age, sex, state and household composition.

Methodology & data

INDICATIVE · BEFORE TAX & FEES. Australian context, FY 2026–27 tax brackets by default (15% lowest marginal rate from 1 July 2026) with a financial-year selector on tax calculators. Calculations are indicative and based on simplified public models — not personal financial, tax or legal advice. See the full disclaimer.

Primary data sources

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