Put in what you have invested and add each month, and see exactly how long until you reach a million, plus the milestones along the way and the age you'll hit each one.
Starting from $0 at a 7% average annual return, by how much you invest each month.
| Invested per month | Years to $1M | Total you put in |
|---|---|---|
| $100/mo | 59 years | $70,300 |
| $250/mo | 46 years | $137,250 |
| $500/mo | 36 years | $218,500 |
| $1,000/mo | 28 years | $331,000 |
| $2,000/mo | 20 years | $470,000 |
| $3,000/mo | 16 years | $558,000 |
| $5,000/mo | 11 years | $665,000 |
It is less than it was, but it remains a meaningful milestone: at a common 4% safe withdrawal rate, a million supports roughly $40,000 a year. Because of inflation, a million in 30 years buys less than a million today, which is worth remembering when you read the date above.
Seven percent is a widely used estimate for the long-run average annual return of a broad stock-market index after a rough allowance for inflation. Some years are far higher, some negative. Lower it to be conservative; the tool updates instantly.
Both, but time does the heavy lifting through compounding. Starting earlier, even with smaller amounts, usually beats starting later with larger ones. That is why cutting a daily habit into investments early can change the date so much.