Through the power of compound returns, you can grow your money significantly beyond the amount that you actually invest over time. The more time your money spends in investment vehicles like stocks and bonds, the more of an impact compounding will have. That’s why investing for the future is so important.
Be Aware: Avoid This Retirement Savings Mistake That’s Costing Americans Up To $300K
Read Next: 6 Popular SUVs That Aren't Worth the Cost -- and 6 Affordable Alternatives
Investing isn’t primarily about how much money you have now — it’s about how much you can grow your money over 10 years, 20 years or even 30 years.
Say you’re hoping to have $500,000 in 30 years. How much would you need to invest each month from now until then to reach that goal?
The answer entirely depends on how much your investments return. Check out these calculations based on the returns you may earn.
Assuming a 10% Annual Return on Investment
Investors often put their money into the stock market. Historically, the average stock market return is about 10% annually, though the actual return can vary significantly from year to year.
Assuming you do invest in the stock market and earn the average 10% annual return, you’d have to invest just over $250 each month to have $500,000 after 30 years.
If you invest $255 each month, with no initial balance, and earn that 10% annual return, you’ll have $503,352 at the end of year 30. Despite having more than a half-million dollars, you would have invested only about $92,000 of your actual money ($255 per month x 12 months per year x 30 years).
The remaining $411,000 comes from your compound returns. Your investment earns returns, and then you earn returns on those returns and so on, helping your money grow and grow.
Find Out: I’m a Financial Expert: This Is the No. 1 Mistake Americans Make With Their 401(k)
Assuming a 5% Annual Return on Investment
But say you choose to invest more conservatively. Your investments average only a 5% annual return. In that case, you would need to invest more each month to reach that $500,000 goal in 30 years.
With no initial balance, you’d have to invest $630 per month for 30 years to end up with $500,000.
That’s nearly 2 1/2 times as much as you would have had to invest to reach the same goal with a 10% annual return on investment. After 30 years, your total contributions from your monthly investments would equal $226,800.
These sample calculations illustrate the impact that your return rates have on the growth of your money over time. With a smaller return rate, you need to invest a lot more to reach the same total investment value. The trade-off is that investments offering lower returns are generally lower in risk as well, which may be a better fit for your plan.
Setting the Right Investment Strategy
When you’re deciding how much to invest each month and which investments to choose, you have to keep your goals in mind. Is there a specific dollar figure you’re trying to reach, like $500,000?
Do you have to stick to a specific time frame, such as retirement age? How much risk are you willing to accept? From there, you can develop an investment strategy that’s tailored to your individual needs and goals.
More From GOBankingRates
- 3 Little-Known Social Security Rules That Could Save You Thousands
- I Paid Off $40,000 in 7 Months Doing These 5 Things
- How Much Money Is Needed To Be Considered Middle Class in Your State?
- The 5 Car Brands Named the Least Reliable of 2025
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How Much You Need To Invest Monthly To Have $500K in 30 Years
