Stash compound interest calculator

See how your invested money could grow over time.

Initial investment

How much you can initially invest, also known as the principal.

❗️ Please enter a value less than $10,000,000

Monthly contribution

How much you plan to add to the principal each month.

❗️ Please enter a value less than $10,000

Annual interest rate

Our standard estimate is 8%, but you can customize.

We use an estimated compound annual growth rate; actual returns vary and can be negative. For context, the S&P 500’s 10-year annualized return ending 1/1/2014 was 8.06%. History includes 12‑month periods from +61% to -43%.

5% 6% 7% 8% 9% 10% 11%

Length of time

How long, in years, you plan to keep investing.

years

❗️ Please enter a value less than 50

Future value

$40,491.01

Total contributions

$22,000.00

This chart hypothetically illustrates how investments may impact the long-term value of investing in the market, assuming an annual growth rate of 8% (compounded monthly). This is purely an illustration of mathematical principles and such results do not represent actual investing results and do not take into consideration fees, taxes, other account deposits, dividend reinvestment, time horizon or economic factors which can impact performance. Diversification, asset allocation, and dollar cost averaging does not ensure a profit or guarantee against loss. Clients may achieve investment results materially different from the results portrayed. This example is for illustrative purposes only and is not indicative of the performance of any actual investment or investment strategy.

Frequently asked questions

What is compounding?

Compounding is one of the most important terms for a beginner investor to understand. Compounding is the process where any return earned on an investment gets added to the principal amount invested. The interest rate is then applied to that new, larger principal amount. Simply put, compounding is like earning interest on interest—similar to the snowball effect.

Over time, compounding could have an exponential effect on your money. That’s why it can be important to start saving and investing as soon as possible, to let the power of compounding work to its full advantage.

Why should I start investing?

Investing can be a critical part of building wealth. As time passes, inflation can eat away at the value of your saved cash—making it worth less over the years. On the other hand, the average annual return of the S&P 500 has been around 8%, historically. Even if it’s just $1 at a time, it’s important to start investing as soon as possible so you can maximize your money’s growth potential and take advantage of compound returns over the years.

What is Stash?

Stash is a personal finance app that can help anyone improve their financial life. From budgeting to saving for retirement, Stash features banking, investing, and advice all in one app. We’ve helped millions of Americans reach their financial goals–all for one low monthly price.

How does Stash work?

Stash can give you everything you need to build wealth for the long-term. Here’s how Stash works:

1. Answer a few questions. When you first join Stash, we’ll get to know you by asking some questions. These help us understand your financial goals and provide useful, specific advice for things like investing and budgeting.

2. Get your plan. Stash offers one plan, The Stash Plan, for $12/month.

With Stash, you'll have access to a personal brokerage account, a retirement account, and a Smart Portfolio. You’ll also receive the Stock-Back® Card that lets you earn stock when you spend, plus budgeting tools, advice and education, and more.

3. Add money to Stash. You can add money to Stash automatically or manually. It only takes 5 minutes to set up direct deposit to send either all or a part of your paycheck straight to Stash. You can even receive your paycheck up to 2 days early.

4. Budget, save, and create goals. Use our automatic budgeting tools to organize your cash and track your spending.

5. Invest your way. You’ve got options. Choose to invest in fractional shares with $5 or less—you can pick from thousands of stocks and ETFs. You can also shop and earn stock with the Stock-Back® Card.

Is Stash safe?

Stash is 100 percent legit. From investments made to cash set aside, you can feel confident in the security of your money.

• Stash uses cutting-edge security features.

• Stash is a registered investment advisor with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). While such registration does not imply a certain level of skill, it does require us to follow federal regulations that protect you, the investor. By law, we must provide investment advice that is in the best interest of our client.

• Stash offers access to FDIC-insured banking accounts through Stride Bank N.A., member FDIC.

How much does Stash cost?

Stash offers one simple plan, The Stash Plan, for $12/month. It includes everything Stash offers: access to thousands of stocks and ETFs, personal and automated portfolios (Smart Portfolio), investing accounts for retirement, and for kids, a Stock-Back® Card that earns 1% back in stock on purchases (up to 3% in bonus categories), an AI money coach, banking with payday up to 2 days early, a 3% match on monthly IRA contributions, $10k in life insurance, priority customer support, and personalized financial advice. Pricing is subject to change.