Investment goal calculator
What would I need to contribute to reach a goal?
Work backwards from a target balance and a time frame to the monthly contribution the arithmetic requires, under a return you choose rather than one we promise.
- Written by
- Suggested Investments Research Team
- Content type
- Calculator
- Published
- 2026-09-13
- Last reviewed
- 2026-09-13
Monthly contribution required
$481
Total you would contribute
$115,347
What this is not
Not a projection
The required contribution changes with the return you assume, and real returns are unknown and uneven.
How to read the result
- Change the assumed return and watch the required contribution move. That sensitivity is the honest lesson of the page.
- If the required contribution is unrealistic, extending the time frame usually helps more than assuming a higher return.
- Treat the result as a starting plan to revisit, not a commitment set in stone.
What this calculator cannot tell you
- Inflation, taxes and account limits are not modelled.
- No return is guaranteed, and a long flat stretch can leave you behind schedule through no fault of the plan.
- This is arithmetic, not financial advice or a projection.
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 — Suggested InvestmentsPrimary source
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