— Investment
SIP / Recurring Investment Calculator
Invest a fixed amount on a regular schedule and let it compound — see what your recurring investment (SIP) grows to, and how much of it is returns.
Maturity value in 15 years
$252,288
- Total invested
- $90,000
- Estimated returns
- $162,288
- Total return
- 180.32%
— Year by year
| Year | Invested | Returns | Year-end value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $6,000 | $404.66 | $6,404.66 |
| 2 | $12,000 | $1,621.6 | $13,621.6 |
| 3 | $18,000 | $3,753.82 | $21,753.82 |
| 4 | $24,000 | $6,917.42 | $30,917.42 |
| 5 | $30,000 | $11,243.18 | $41,243.18 |
| 6 | $36,000 | $16,878.52 | $52,878.52 |
| 7 | $42,000 | $23,989.5 | $65,989.5 |
| 8 | $48,000 | $32,763.28 | $80,763.28 |
| 9 | $54,000 | $43,410.75 | $97,410.75 |
| 10 | $60,000 | $56,169.54 | $116,169.54 |
| 11 | $66,000 | $71,307.41 | $137,307.41 |
| 12 | $72,000 | $89,126.09 | $161,126.09 |
| 13 | $78,000 | $109,965.57 | $187,965.57 |
| 14 | $84,000 | $134,208.98 | $218,208.98 |
| 15 | $90,000 | $162,288 | $252,288 |
— Invested vs returns
Download— How it works
FV = P × [((1 + i)ⁿ − 1) ÷ i] × (1 + i); i = periodic rate, n = number of instalments (annuity-due for start-of-period)
How a SIP builds wealth
A SIP — systematic investment plan — means investing a fixed amount on a regular schedule rather than trying to time the market. Each instalment buys in at whatever the price is that day, so you automatically buy more units when prices are low and fewer when they are high; over years this rupee- or dollar-cost averaging smooths out the entry price. This calculator projects that plan forward at an expected return and splits the result into what you paid in versus what the returns added.
The maths is an annuity: each instalment compounds from the day it is paid, so the earliest instalments do the most work. That is why the returns portion starts small and then overtakes your contributions in the later years — the chart and the split view make this crossover easy to see. Because there is no live price feed, the expected return is your assumption and the biggest one; real funds rise and fall rather than growing smoothly, so treat the figure as a central estimate.
Worked example — $500 a month for 15 years at 12%: You invest 180 × $500 = $90,000. It grows to roughly $252,000 — so about $162,000, nearly two-thirds of the final pot, is returns rather than money you paid in.
Step-up SIPs and a starting lumpsum
Two advanced options change the picture markedly. A step-up raises your instalment by a set percentage each year, so as your income grows your investing keeps pace; because the increases happen while there are still years left to compound, even a modest 10% step-up can lift the final value well beyond a flat SIP — the “final SIP amount” figure shows how large the instalment has grown by the end.
A starting lumpsum sits alongside the SIP: a one-time amount invested at the outset that compounds for the full term. When you add a lumpsum, or apply an expense ratio, the calculator also shows a CAGR — the single annual growth rate your money effectively earned, which is more meaningful than the headline total once money goes in at different times.
Costs, inflation and tax
The expense ratio is the fund’s annual fee, charged as a percentage of your holding; the cleanest way to model it is to subtract it from the return, so a 12% return with a 1% expense ratio compounds at 11%. Over a long SIP that small gap quietly removes a meaningful slice of the final value.
Two further toggles keep the number honest. Inflation discounts the maturity value back to today’s purchasing power, and a tax rate applied to the returns shows what you would actually keep. Both are optional and off by default.
SIP, lumpsum or mutual fund return?
This calculator is built around the recurring-investment case and keeps the inputs light — amount, return, term — with everything else optional. If you want to weigh a one-time lumpsum and a SIP together as explicit modes, or factor in an exit load and a capital-gains view, the Mutual Fund Return calculator covers that. For a single deposit left to grow, the Compound Interest calculator is the simplest fit.
— Reader questions
Is a SIP better than investing a lump sum?
It depends on whether you actually have a lump sum and on the market. A SIP suits money that arrives from income and removes the pressure of timing the market. If you already hold the full amount, investing it at once has historically won more often because it is exposed to growth sooner — but a SIP reduces the risk of buying everything at a peak.
What is a step-up SIP and is it worth it?
A step-up SIP increases your instalment by a fixed percentage each year, usually to track a rising salary. Because the higher contributions still have years to compound, a step-up lifts the final value noticeably — often more than people expect. Turn it on under Advanced options to see the effect and the final instalment size.
What return should I assume?
Match it to the fund. 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, with no guarantee. Try a cautious figure alongside an optimistic one.
Why does the expense ratio matter so much?
Because it is charged every year on your whole holding, it compounds against you. A 1% expense ratio turns a 12% return into 11%, and over a long SIP that gap removes a surprisingly large share of the final value — which is why low-cost index funds are popular.
Does this use real fund NAVs?
No. It grows your instalments at the steady expected return you enter, not a live or historical price path, so it is a smooth projection. Real returns vary year to year, so treat the output as an estimate rather than a forecast.
Are weekly and quarterly SIPs really different from monthly?
Only slightly, for the same total invested. More frequent instalments compound a touch sooner, so a weekly SIP edges out a monthly one investing the same amount per year, but the difference is small next to your return and time horizon.