Free investing tool

See what time actually does to your money

Move the sliders to watch compound interest turn small contributions into serious long-term wealth.

You put in

—

total contributions

Final balance

—

after 30 years

Interest earned

—

market's contribution

Starting amount

Monthly contribution

Annual return %

Years invested

Total balance Amount contributed

⏰

Time beats timing

Starting early — even with less — nearly always beats waiting. A 25-year-old at $100/mo typically beats a 35-year-old at $200/mo by retirement.

📊

S&P 500 averages ~10%

Historically ~10%/year before inflation, ~7% after. Low-cost index funds capture this automatically without stock picking.

🔁

Stay consistent

The biggest threat to compound growth isn't a bad market — it's stopping contributions. Consistency over time is everything.

🏦

Tax-advantaged accounts

Max your 401(k) for any employer match, then a Roth IRA. Tax savings alone can add tens of thousands to your final balance.

Free investing tool

The fee you barely notice costs you a fortune

A 1% annual fund fee sounds harmless. Over 30 years it can silently drain hundreds of thousands — money that was rightfully yours.

Total wealth lost to fees

—

That's — of your final balance — paid to a fund manager, not you.

Low-cost fund

e.g. FXAIX, VTSAX, VOO

0.03%

Balance: —

High-cost fund

e.g. actively managed

1.00%

Balance: —

Starting amount

Monthly contribution

Gross annual return %

Years invested

Low-fee balance

—

fees paid: —

High-fee balance

—

fees paid: —

You keep extra

—

by choosing low fees

Low-fee balance High-fee balance Contributed

🔍

Find the expense ratio

Look up any fund on Morningstar or the fund's own site. Listed as "Expense Ratio" — a % like 0.03% or 1.20%.

⚠️

Fees compound against you

The fee is charged on your growing balance every year — not just your original investment. That's why the gap widens so dramatically.

🏆

Index funds win on fees

Actively managed funds charge more and rarely beat their index long-term. A simple S&P 500 fund at 0.03% outperforms most over 20+ years.

💡

The 0.10% rule

Look for expense ratios under 0.10%. FXAIX (0.015%), VTSAX (0.04%), and VOO (0.03%) are textbook examples of low-cost investing.

Free investing tool

How investing through volatility actually works

Dollar-cost averaging means investing a fixed amount on a regular schedule — rain or shine. See how it compares to lump sum investing across different market conditions.

DCA avg cost vs lump sum price

—

DCA avg: —/share · Lump sum: —/share

Choose a market scenario:

🐂

Bull Market

Steady climb with dips

🐻

Bear Market

Decline then recovery

⚡

High Volatility

Wild swings both ways

Monthly investment

Investment period (mo)

Starting share price

Volatility intensity %

DCA final value

—

shares × final price

Lump sum value

—

invested at month 1

Total invested

—

DCA contributions

Share price DCA portfolio Lump sum value

For educational purposes only. Not financial advice. Simulations use hypothetical scenarios.