New to investing? Start here
- An ETF is one simple purchase that owns small pieces of hundreds of companies — like buying a slice of the whole market.
- Compound growth: your money earns returns, then those returns earn returns too. The longer you wait, the faster it snowballs.
- Inflation: prices rise every year, so $100 later buys less than $100 today. We show results in today's money so they feel real.
- How to use: change the numbers on the left — everything updates instantly.
Portfolio at retirement · 2051 · age 60
25 yrsNominal value
$1,171,856
Future dollars, unadjusted
Inflation-adjusted (real)
$632,088
Today's purchasing power
What if you only save cash instead?
Same money put aside every month, but kept in a drawer or a 0% bank account instead of an ETF. It never grows, and inflation slowly eats its value.
Only saving (cash)
$146,140
worth in today's money · $270,936 on paper
Investing in ETFs
$632,088
worth in today's money
Money you miss out on
$485,948
4.3× more by investing
Doing nothing at all (saving $0) leaves you with $0 — and only a state pension to rely on.
Growth over time
Nominal = the number you'll see in your account. Real = what that money can actually buy, in today's prices. Cash only = same savings without investing, in today's prices.
Retirement income
Monthly after tax · today's dollars
$1,864
Tax applies only to the gains portion of each withdrawal (77% of the portfolio). Your own contributions come back tax-free.
Year-by-year breakdown
every 5 years| Year | Age | Contributed | Nominal | Real |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 35 | $25,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 |
| 2031 | 40 | $62,846 | $88,328 | $78,069 |
| 2036 | 45 | $105,664 | $196,635 | $153,611 |
| 2041 | 50 | $154,110 | $378,211 | $261,142 |
| 2046 | 55 | $208,922 | $678,726 | $414,207 |
| 2051 | 60 | $270,936 | $1,171,856 | $632,088 |