— Investment
Mutual Fund Return Calculator
Estimate what a mutual fund investment grows to — a one-time amount, a recurring monthly investment (SIP), or both together — after fund costs and tax.
Maturity value in 10 years
$426,754.36
- Total invested
- $160,000
- Total gains
- $266,754.36
- Total return
- 166.72%
- Annualized return (CAGR)
- 12.12%
— Year by year
| Year | Invested | Gains | Year-end value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $106,000 | $12,404.66 | $118,404.66 |
| 2 | $112,000 | $27,061.6 | $139,061.6 |
| 3 | $118,000 | $44,246.62 | $162,246.62 |
| 4 | $124,000 | $64,269.35 | $188,269.35 |
| 5 | $130,000 | $87,477.35 | $217,477.35 |
| 6 | $136,000 | $114,260.78 | $250,260.78 |
| 7 | $142,000 | $145,057.64 | $287,057.64 |
| 8 | $148,000 | $180,359.6 | $328,359.6 |
| 9 | $154,000 | $220,718.63 | $374,718.63 |
| 10 | $160,000 | $266,754.36 | $426,754.36 |
— Invested vs gains
Download— How it works
Maturity = lumpsum·(1 + r)ⁿ + Σ SIP instalments grown to maturity; r is net of the expense ratio
What this calculates
A mutual fund grows your money in two situations: a one-time lumpsum you invest now, and a SIP — a fixed amount paid in every month. This calculator handles either on its own or both together. Pick a mode, enter the amounts, an expected annual return and a duration, and it projects the maturity value, splitting it into what you invested and what growth added.
The maths is straightforward: the lumpsum grows as a single amount, lumpsum × (1 + return)ᵞᵉᵃʳˢ, while each monthly SIP instalment grows from the month it is paid in — so the earliest instalments compound the longest. In “Both” mode the two are simply added. Because there is no live fund feed, the expected return is your assumption and the single biggest one; real funds rise and fall rather than growing in a smooth line, so treat the result as a central estimate.
Worked example — $500 a month for 10 years at 12%: You invest 120 × $500 = $60,000. It grows to roughly $116,000 — so about $56,000 is growth, almost as much again as you paid in. Add a $10,000 lumpsum at the start and that alone becomes about $31,000 more by year 10.
Expense ratio and exit load
Funds are not free. The expense ratio is an annual fee charged as a percentage of your holding; it is deducted continuously from the fund’s value, so the cleanest way to model it is to subtract it from the return. Enter 0.5% against a 12% return and the calculator compounds at 11.5% — over a decade or two that small gap quietly removes a large slice of the final value, which is why the “cost of expense ratio” figure can surprise you.
Exit load is different: a one-time charge some funds apply if you redeem, often only within a year or two of investing. Because it hits the amount you take out rather than the growth along the way, the calculator shows it as a separate deduction — the “value after exit load” — leaving the headline maturity value as the corpus before that charge.
Total return, annualized return, inflation and tax
Two return figures appear, and they answer different questions. Total return is the simple percentage your money grew overall. The annualized return (a money-weighted CAGR) is the effective yearly rate, and for a SIP it is not the same thing — because each instalment was invested for a different length of time, the per-year return looks different from the headline total. When you add an expense ratio, the annualized return is what reveals the realised rate after fees.
Two more adjustments make the number honest. Inflation discounts the maturity value back to today’s purchasing power and adds a real-value column to the table. Capital-gains tax — your LTCG or STCG rate — is applied to the gains to show what you would actually keep. Both are optional and off by default.
When to use this instead of a simpler calculator
If all you want is a quick monthly-SIP projection, the plain SIP calculator is faster. Reach for this one when you want more than a single number: to combine a lumpsum with a SIP, to step the SIP up each year, or to see how fund costs and tax change the outcome. It is built around how mutual funds are actually charged and taxed, rather than treating the investment as an idealised compounding pot.
— Reader questions
What is the difference between lumpsum, SIP and Both?
Lumpsum is a single one-time investment. SIP is a fixed amount invested every month. “Both” combines a one-time amount with an ongoing monthly SIP and adds the two projections together — handy when you start with a sum and keep contributing.
Does this use real fund NAVs or live data?
No. It grows your money at the steady expected return you enter, not a live or historical price path. That makes it a smooth projection; real funds vary year to year, so use a realistic return and treat the figure as an estimate rather than a forecast.
How does the expense ratio affect the result?
It is subtracted from the expected return, so a 12% return with a 1% expense ratio compounds at 11%. Over long periods that gap removes a meaningful chunk of the maturity value — the “cost of expense ratio” figure shows exactly how much, versus the same plan with no fee.
What is exit load and when does it apply?
Exit load is a one-time charge some funds levy when you redeem, frequently only if you sell within a set period such as a year. It applies to the amount withdrawn, so the calculator shows it as a separate “value after exit load” rather than blending it into the growth.
Why are total return and annualized return different?
Total return is the overall percentage gain. Annualized return is the effective per-year rate. For a SIP they differ because each instalment is invested for a different length of time, so the money you put in late has less time to grow than the headline total return implies.
What return rate should I assume?
Match it to the fund type. Over long horizons equity funds have historically returned very roughly 10–12% before costs, hybrid funds less, and debt funds less still — all before fees and tax, and with no guarantee. Try a cautious figure alongside an optimistic one.