Calculator

SIP Calculator

Invest a fixed amount every month and compounding does the rest — slowly at first, then all at once. Set your numbers below and watch the split between what you contributed and what the market added.

Your plan

Every figure updates as you type.

%
yrs
More assumptions
%
%
Value after 15 years

You invest
Est. returns
In today's money

Where the money comes from

Each column is the year-end balance, split into your contributions and the growth on top. Hover, or focus the chart and use the arrow keys.

Show the year-by-year numbers
How this is worked out

The assumptions, stated plainly.

What the model does

  • Monthly compounding, invested at the start of each month. The annual rate you enter is divided by twelve, and each instalment earns a full month of growth. This is the same convention used by every mainstream SIP calculator, so the numbers are directly comparable.
  • A step-up applies once a year. The instalment rises on each anniversary, not gradually through the year.
  • The return is constant. Real markets are not. A 12% average delivered as +30%, −10%, +18% ends up somewhere different from a flat 12% once you are contributing along the way — this calculator shows the smooth path, which is a planning aid, not a forecast.
  • No tax, exit load or expense ratio is deducted. Enter a return you expect after fund costs if you want the figure to be closer to what lands in your account, and remember that capital gains tax is charged on the returns portion when you redeem.
  • "In today's money" divides the final value by inflation compounded over the same period. It answers what the corpus would buy at today's prices, which is usually the number that actually matters.

This calculator is an illustration, not investment advice. It does not know your tax position, your goals or your risk appetite, and it cannot promise a return. Nothing you type is sent anywhere — the whole thing runs in your browser.

Common questions

What return should I assume?

There is no correct answer, only a defensible one. Be conservative rather than optimistic: a projection that is too rosy makes you save too little, which is the expensive mistake. A common approach is to use the long-run average of the asset class you are actually buying, then subtract a percentage point for fund costs and a margin for being wrong.

Try the same plan at a few different rates. If the goal only works at the highest one, the plan is fragile.

Why does the orange part grow so much faster later on?

Because returns compound and contributions don't. Your monthly instalment adds the same amount every month, but the growth is earned on a balance that keeps getting bigger — including on previous growth. In a long enough SIP the returns portion overtakes everything you contributed. Push the time period slider up and watch the crossover move.

This is also why the single most powerful input on this page is time, not the return rate.

Is a step-up SIP worth it?

Usually, yes — and by more than people expect. Raising the instalment in line with your income means your savings rate holds steady instead of quietly falling as you earn more. Set the step-up to your expected annual raise and compare the total against 0%.

Does Zinfai track my actual SIPs?

Yes. This page is a projection for one hypothetical instalment. The Zinfai desktop app tracks the SIPs you really hold, across funds and currencies, with live prices and XIRR on the actual cashflow dates — and the AI Financial Planner recommends a monthly SIP per goal. See how planning works.