CalcLibrary

DCA Investment Calculator

See what consistent monthly investing builds over time. Enter what you can put aside each month, how long you'll keep it up, and your expected return — get the future value, what you actually paid in, and how much of the result is pure compound growth.

Currency
$
years
%
$
Examples

Example retirement scenario: $500 every month for 30 years at a 7% return.

Final Value
$609,985
Total Contributed
$180,000
Total Gain
$429,985

Compounding did most of the work — 70% of your final value is pure growth. Your money grew 3.4x.

Projection only — assumes a constant monthly return and does not model market volatility, fees, taxes, or inflation. Use as an estimate, not a guarantee of future value.

Was this useful?

Examples

How It Works

Formula

FV=P⋅(1+r)n−1r+PV⋅(1+r)nFV = P \cdot \frac{(1 + r)^n - 1}{r} + PV \cdot (1 + r)^n

Variables

FVFV

Final value at the end of the period

PP

Monthly contribution

PVPV

Starting balance (lump sum already invested)

rr

Monthly return rate (annual return ÷ 12, as a decimal)

nn

Total months invested (years × 12)

Applies an ordinary-annuity future-value formula to equal monthly contributions at a constant monthly return, then adds the compounded future value of any starting balance.

Frequently Asked Questions

01How is this different from a compound interest calculator?
A compound interest calculator usually focuses on a single lump sum compounding forward. DCA flips the focus to the monthly contribution as the engine — you keep dripping money in over decades, every dollar gets a slightly shorter compounding window than the one before it, and the total grows from contributions plus compound growth on each. Use a compound interest calculator when you have a lump sum sitting still; use this when you're investing on a schedule.
02What return rate should I use — 7%, 10%, or 12%?
Use a rate that matches the scenario you want to test. This calculator applies the same estimated annual return every month for the whole period, so it is a planning model rather than a forecast.
03Does this account for inflation, fees, or taxes?
No — the result is a gross, nominal projection. To approximate a real (inflation-adjusted) result, plug in your expected return minus expected inflation. Fees reduce your effective return; subtract them from the rate if you want to model them. Taxes depend on account type and local rules, so this calculator does not model tax treatment or contribution limits.
04What happens if I miss a month or two of contributions?
Missing contributions lowers the result because less money goes in and those dollars have less time to compound. This calculator assumes the same contribution is made every month, so skipped months are not modeled separately.
05Should I use a conservative return rate?
A lower estimated return gives you a more conservative projection. Try a few rates to see how sensitive the result is to this assumption.

All calculators