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Starting Amount
The starting balance or current amount you have invested or saved.
Additional Contributions
The amount that you plan on adding to your savings or investment each
period. The investment period options include monthly, quarterly and
annually. This calculator assumes that you make your contributions at
the beginning of each period.
Years
The total number of years you are planning to save or invest.
Rate of Return
The annual rate of return for this investment or savings account. The
actual rate of return is largely dependant on the type of investments
you select. From January 1970 to December 2004, the average compounded
rate of return for the S&P 500, including reinvestment of dividends, was
approximately 11.5% per year. During this period, the highest 12-month
return was 64%, and the lowest was -39%. Savings accounts at a bank pay
as little as 1% or less. It is important to remember that future rates
of return can't be predicted with certainty and that investments that
pay higher rates of return are subject to higher risk and volatility.
The actual rate of return on investments can vary widely over time,
especially for long-term investments. This includes the potential loss
of principal on your investment.
Compounding
Earnings on an investment's earnings, plus previous interest. This
calculator allows you to choose the frequency that your investment's
interest or income is added to your account. The more frequently this
occurs, the sooner your accumulated earnings will generate additional
earnings. For stock and mutual fund investments, you should choose
'Annual'. For savings accounts and CDs, all of the options are valid,
although you will need to check with your financial institution to find
out how often interest is being compounded on your particular
investment. |
Copyright © 2008. Fidelity
National Information Services. All Rights Reserved. |
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