See what happens to your money if you invest part of it every month in ETFs instead of leaving it in the bank. A free ETF investment calculator: no sign-up, nothing to buy.
Educational tool, not financial advice
Investing €750 a month instead of leaving it in the bank could give you about €203,522 more in 20 years.
A basket of companiesAn ETF holds hundreds or thousands of companies at once, like Apple, Nestlé and Toyota. One purchase buys you a small slice of all of them.
You buy a bit every monthYou set up an automatic monthly payment, like a subscription. Some months you buy when prices are high, some when they are low. Over time it evens out.
Your slice grows with the companiesOver long periods companies earn more and become worth more, and so does your slice. Not every year, and sometimes it drops a lot. Over 15–20 years it has historically grown.
Your numbers
€
€
€
These are example numbers. Replace them with your own and everything on the page updates.
Your plan
1 · Keep in the bank€9,000
6 months of expenses. Why: if you lose your job or something breaks, you use this money and never have to sell your ETFs at a bad moment.
2 · Invest now€1,000
What you have above the emergency fund. Put it into the ETF from How to start, all at once or spread over 6–12 months.
3 · Every month
€750
into ETFs
€250set aside
Why automatic: the money leaves the day after payday, so you never have to decide or remember. The set-aside part is for big costs like a car, holidays or gifts.
What you could have
20 years
510152025
Historical normal · 7%€453,522You put in €250,000 in total.+€203,522 more than leaving it in the bankBefore tax. If your gains are taxed at 20%, you'd keep about €412,818.
Do nothing All in the bank (0%)€250,000Worth about €168,243 in today's money, because prices rise every year.
Cautious ETFs at 5%€376,007You put in €250,000 in total.
Good decades ETFs at 9%€553,743You put in €250,000 in total.
Shown as the number you'll see on your account. Tick "today's euros" to see what it's really worth after inflation.
What it really feels like
The numbers above are smooth averages. Real markets jump up and down, sometimes a lot. World stock markets fell by about half between 2007 and 2009, and by about a third in a few weeks in 2020. Both times they came back: within a few years after 2009, and within months in 2020.
Illustration of a typical path, not real data
With your plan, after 10 years you'd have about €130,256 in ETFs. In a crash like 2008 your account could show about €65,128 for a while. That's the moment most beginners sell and turn a temporary drop into a real loss. If you keep your monthly payment going, you're buying cheap.
The 3% rule
A second salary for life, in 20 years
€961 a month
3% a year of the €384,522 in your ETFs, at the 7% average.
After these years you could stop adding money and take out 3% of your ETFs every year as a monthly income. Historically, taking 3% a year from a mostly-stock portfolio has lasted 30 years or more in almost every period, and often the money kept growing. It's a guide, not a guarantee. The emergency fund stays in the bank.
Cautious 5%: €768 a monthGood decades 9%: €1,212 a month
How to start this week
Open an account with a low-cost brokerA broker is the app or bank where you buy and hold ETFs. Pick one that is regulated in your country and lets you set up a monthly investment plan. Check how ETF taxes work where you live.
Pick one world ETFLook for one that follows the whole world stock market, is accumulating and has a low yearly fee (TER), ideally under 0.25%. If you want fewer ups and downs, an all-in-one ETF that also holds bonds is fine too.
Set up the monthly plan and leave it aloneUse the monthly amount from your plan above and a date right after payday. Then don't check it every day.
Questions everyone asks
Can I lose money?
Yes, in the short term, and sometimes for several years. Over 15 years or more, a world ETF has historically ended up higher, but that's not guaranteed. That's why you only invest money you won't need for a long time, and keep the emergency fund in the bank.
What if I need the money?
You can sell any day the market is open, and the cash arrives in a few days. But selling right after a drop locks in the loss. That's what the emergency fund is for.
Do I pay taxes?
Usually you pay tax only on your gains, and only when you sell. Rates and rules depend on your country, so check before you start. The results on this page are before tax.
When should I start?
As soon as your emergency fund is in place, even with a small amount. Time in the market matters more than picking the right moment, and nobody can reliably pick it.
Words explained
ETF
A fund you buy and sell on the stock exchange like a single share, but it holds many companies at once.
Accumulating
Dividends are not paid out to you. The fund reinvests them automatically, which is the simplest way to let the money grow.
Bonds
Loans to governments or companies that pay interest. They move less than stocks, so they calm a portfolio down, but on average they earn less.
Inflation
Prices going up over time. At 2% a year, something that costs €100 today will cost about €149 in 20 years.
TER
The yearly cost of an ETF, as a percentage. A TER of 0.2% on €10,000 is about €20 a year, taken out of the fund's value automatically.
Broker
The bank or app where you buy, hold and sell your ETFs.
Found this useful?
Made by Marco, an engineer who invests in ETFs himself. This page is free, with no ads and no affiliate links. If it helped you, you can buy me a coffee.
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool with rough estimates. Returns are not guaranteed and change every year; here they are constant averages. Taxes and fees are not included in the results, and they vary by country. The bank account is calculated at zero interest. Investing can lose money. Do your own research or talk to a qualified adviser before you invest.