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EVERY INVESTING & WEALTH DECISION · WITH THE MATH SHOWN

Investing & Wealth Calculators

Free investing calculators: compound interest, DCA, dividend income, ETF fee impact, portfolio rebalancing, bond yields, ROI analysis. Projections use historical real return benchmarks.

Start with Compound Interest →

  • Compound Interest

    Popular

    Visualize how compound interest grows investments over time.

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  • Dollar Cost Averaging

    Compare DCA vs lump-sum with historical market data.

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  • Dividend Income

    Estimate annual dividend income from your holdings.

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  • Investment Property ROI

    Calculate rental property return on investment.

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  • Portfolio Rebalancing

    Compute trades needed to rebalance to target allocation.

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  • ETF Fee Impact

    See how expense ratios eat into long-term returns.

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  • Index vs Active Fund

    Compare index and active fund historical performance.

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  • Stock Options / RSU

    Value stock options and RSUs at current prices.

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  • Bond Yield Calculator

    Calculate current yield and yield-to-maturity on bonds.

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  • Tax Loss Harvesting

    Estimate tax savings from harvesting investment losses.

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  • Net Worth Calculator

    Track assets minus liabilities over time.

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  • Asset Allocation

    Get age-appropriate stock/bond allocation recommendations.

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Investing — deep-dive guides, FAQs, examples, sources

Long-form content kept collapsed by default so the calculator grid stays front-and-center. Expand any section below for primary-source analysis, worked examples, and category FAQs.

Guides (6 articles)▾

Complete investing calculator guide 2026

12 min read

CalcFi's investing stack covers compound growth, dividend income, rebalancing, and advanced options math. The core insight: time in market matters more than timing the market — a dollar invested at age 25 at 7% real return becomes $21 by age 65.

Compound interest — the 8th wonder

$10k invested at age 25 at 7% real becomes $210k by 65. Same $10k invested at age 45 becomes $40k. Starting early dominates everything else. Use Compound Interest to visualize.

Dollar-cost averaging vs lump sum

Vanguard research (2025 update) shows lump-sum beats DCA in 68% of 10-year windows because markets rise more than they fall. DCA's advantage is psychological (smoother returns) and risk-management (reduces concentration timing risk).

ETF fee impact

A 0.5% expense ratio vs 0.05% on $500k over 30 years: $85k of lost wealth. Use ETF Fee Impact to see the compound drag.

Dividend income planning

Qualified dividends tax at 0/15/20% federally (same as LTCG). Non-qualified (REITs, MLPs) at ordinary income. Dividend Income models annual yield across your holdings.

Index vs active: the data

8 min read

S&P SPIVA data consistently shows 80%+ of active large-cap managers underperform their benchmark over 10+ years after fees. Small-cap and international show similar patterns. Index funds win not because they're brilliant but because they're cheap.

Investing by age: allocation frameworks

7 min read

Classic "120 minus age = stock %" is dated. Modern target-date funds glide from 90/10 stocks/bonds at 25 to 50/50 at 65 to 30/70 at 85. Adjust for risk tolerance and other income streams.

Tax-efficient investing

9 min read

Asset location matters: hold bonds and REITs in tax-deferred accounts, stocks in Roth, index funds in taxable. Tax-loss harvest annually. Use tax-efficient ETFs (low turnover, few distributions).

Investing decision framework

7 min read

Use Compound Interest for growth projections, DCA for recurring investment, Portfolio Rebalancing for allocation drift, Dividend Income for yield planning.

Common investing mistakes

7 min read

Ranked by frequency: trading too often, paying high fees, concentration in employer stock, ignoring tax consequences, market timing.

FAQ (15 questions)▾
What return should I expect from the stock market?
S&P 500 has returned ~10% nominal / ~7% real since 1928. Future expectations should center on that range with wide year-to-year variance.
Index funds or individual stocks?
Index funds for 80%+ of your portfolio. Individual stocks only if you enjoy research and can tolerate concentration risk.
What is a safe withdrawal rate?
Classic 4% Bengen rule; modern research suggests 3.3–3.7% is safer. Use FIRE Number calculator for your situation.
How much should I invest each month?
Target 15–20% of gross income for retirement. Start with whatever you can; automate.
Should I pay off debt before investing?
Match 401k first (free money). Then high-interest debt (>7%). Then max tax-advantaged accounts. Then low-interest debt.
What is dollar-cost averaging?
Investing a fixed amount on a regular schedule regardless of price. Smooths volatility but typically underperforms lump-sum in rising markets.
Can I retire on dividends alone?
Possible with $2M+ portfolio at 4% yield. Quality dividend stocks typically yield 2–4%. Lower portfolio totals may require growth allocation.
What are ETF fees?
Expense ratio: annual % deducted from fund assets. Low-cost index ETFs charge 0.03–0.20%. Active funds typically 0.5–1.5%.
Should I rebalance my portfolio?
Yes — annually or when allocation drifts >5% from target. Rebalancing forces buy-low/sell-high discipline.
What is tax-loss harvesting?
Selling losers to offset capital gains plus $3,000 ordinary income annually. Free tax reduction — execute in taxable accounts only.
REITs vs real estate directly?
REITs = liquid, diversified, tax-disadvantaged (non-qualified dividends). Direct real estate = leverage, depreciation shelter, active management.
Bonds or bond funds?
Individual bonds if you may hold to maturity. Bond funds for liquidity and diversification; accept NAV volatility.
What is sequence of returns risk?
Early-retirement bear markets devastate long-term sustainability. Mitigate with 2–3 years cash buffer and dynamic withdrawal.
Is now a good time to invest?
Almost always yes, for a long horizon. Time in market beats timing the market.
How do I calculate ROI?
(Current value − initial cost) / initial cost × 100%. Annualize via CAGR for multi-year. See Investment Property ROI calculator.
Real Examples (7 scenarios)▾

$500/month from age 25

Monthly
$500
Years
40
Return
7% real

Result: $1.31M at age 65

Compound at 7% real over 480 months. Total contributions: $240k. Growth: $1.07M.

Lump sum $50k at 7%

Initial
$50,000
Years
30
Return
7%

Result: $380k at year 30

$50k compounds 7.6× over 30 years.

DCA vs lump sum, $50k

Amount
$50,000
Horizon
10 years
Method A
DCA over 12 months
Method B
Lump sum

Result: Lump sum wins 68% of historical windows

Vanguard research: lump sum averages 2.3% higher return over 10 years because markets rise more often than they fall.

ETF fee drag

Balance
$500,000
Fund A ER
0.05%
Fund B ER
0.50%
Years
30

Result: Fund B costs $85k more

0.45% annual drag compounds dramatically over 30 years. Switching saves real wealth.

Rebalancing 60/40

Starting
60% stocks / 40% bonds
After Bull Year
70% / 30%
Target
60% / 40%

Result: Sell 10% stocks, buy 10% bonds

Automatic contrarian: locks in gains, buys the laggard.

Dividend portfolio

Portfolio
$800,000
Avg Yield
3.2%
Tax Rate
15% qualified

Result: $25,600/yr pre-tax, $21,760 after tax

Qualified dividends at 15% federal. Add state tax by jurisdiction.

Tax-loss harvest

Unrealized Loss
$12,000
Capital Gains
$8,000
Ordinary Income Tax Rate
24%

Result: Offsets all $8k gains + $3k ordinary = $720 tax savings

Remaining $1k loss carries forward. Must avoid wash-sale (30 days).

Sources (6 primary citations)▾
  1. [1]Internal Revenue Service — federal individual income tax brackets and standard deductions
  2. [2]FDIC — National Deposit Rates (savings, checking, CD)
  3. [3]FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data) — real median household income, unemployment, HPI, LFPR per state
  4. [4]Tax Foundation — Property Taxes Paid as % of Owner-Occupied Housing Value; State Tax Rates and Brackets; Estate/Inheritance; Social Security Taxation
  5. [5]State Departments of Revenue — official bracket + deduction publications (one primary URL per state; linked in the brackets table below)
  6. [6]Social Security Administration — OASDI / Medicare benefit + contribution rules

All data points cited to primary U.S. government, regulatory, and industry sources. Methodology published at /about/editorial.

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Written and maintained by Jere Salmisto, Founder, CalcFi. Updated May 19, 2026.

Formulas and data sourced from FRED, IRS (tax rates), SSA, Federal Reserve, FDIC. Methodology at /about/editorial. Published by CalcFi Editorial.