Cost of waiting calculator
What does waiting to start actually cost?
Compare starting today with starting after a delay, using identical assumptions, so the cost of waiting appears as a number rather than a feeling.
- Written by
- Pro Investor Academy Research Team
- Content type
- Calculator
- Published
- 2026-09-13
- Last reviewed
- 2026-09-13
Your assumptions
A commonly used illustration rate. These are inputs to a hypothetical calculation, not expected or guaranteed returns.
Turned off: fees, inflation, contribution increases and deposit timing are back to their defaults.
Applied in this calculation
7.0% effective annual return · $500 monthly ($6,000 a year) · deposits at the end of each period · no fees · no inflation · no taxes
Projected portfolio
$660,849
After 30 years, monthly contributions.
Money you contributed
$190,000
$6,000 a year in deposits. Changing frequency changes this amount, not just compounding.
Estimated investment growth
$470,849
From contributions
28.8%
From growth
71.2%
Investment multiple
3.48×
The compounding crossover
Year 18
The point where hypothetical growth becomes larger than the money you personally added.
Compound growth
Portfolio value against the money you contributed. The vertical marker is the compounding crossover.
Hypothetical illustration based on the assumptions entered above. It is not a projection of actual results, and it does not include taxes or trading costs. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Contributions and growth, separated
Wealth comes from both saving and returns. The lower band is your own money.
| Year | Contributed | Growth | Account value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | $40,000 | $9,623 | $49,623 |
| 10 | $70,000 | $35,197 | $105,197 |
| 20 | $130,000 | $162,465 | $292,465 |
| 30 | $190,000 | $470,849 | $660,849 |
What can waiting cost?
The same plan, the same assumptions, measured at year 30. Only the start date changes.
Start today
$660,849
Reference
Start in 1 year
$611,831
$-49,018 vs starting today
Start in 5 years
$445,795
$-215,054 vs starting today
Start in 10 years
$292,465
$-368,384 vs starting today
Time itself is a major component of compounding. These are hypothetical mathematical projections, not predictions, and they assume contributions only begin at the chosen start date.
How to read the result
- The delayed plan loses the compounding years at the end of the period, not the beginning — which is why short delays cost more than people expect.
- Waiting for a better entry price only pays if the wait is short and the price actually falls. The calculator shows what the wait costs if it does not.
- If a delay is unavoidable, contributing a smaller amount now usually beats waiting for a larger amount later.
What this calculator cannot tell you
- The comparison assumes the same return in both cases; a delay that happens to precede a crash would look better in hindsight.
- It is not an argument for investing money you need within a few years.
- Arithmetic on assumptions, not advice on timing any specific investment.
Terms used here
Sources and methodology
Standard future-value arithmetic. Every figure is hypothetical and depends entirely on the assumptions you enter.
- Investor.gov investor education — U.S. Securities and Exchange CommissionPrimary source
- Intelligent Accumulation methodology — Pro Investor AcademyPrimary source
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