What happens when you invest $100/month at 7% for 30 years?
If you invest $100 per month consistently at an expected annual return of 7% for 30 years, your portfolio grows to $121,997. You will have contributed $36,000 of your own money, and compounding will have added $85,997 in growth — a 3.39x multiple on your contributions.
After a typical 0.5% annual management fee, the final value is approximately $110,618. The total fee cost over 30 years is $11,379 — a reminder that low-cost index funds with fees of 0.03-0.1% preserve significantly more of your returns.
These figures assume a constant 7% annual return compounded monthly. Actual investment returns vary year-to-year and cannot be guaranteed. Use the interactive calculator to model different assumptions.