Start Early

The most underrated force in personal finance is boring consistency plus time. Set a monthly amount and an assumed growth rate, and see what patience actually builds, and what waiting costs.

Your plan

Amount you'd put away each month (£)

Assumed yearly growth5.0% / year

This is your assumption, not a promise. Cash savings rates are published by every bank; investment returns vary and can be negative in any given year, so try a few values and see the range.

Years you keep it up20 years

What patience builds

After 20 years: £40,746. You paid in £24,000; growth added £16,746, which is 41% of the pot.

Your moneyGrowth

⏳ Start the identical plan 5 years later and you'd finish with £26,590, so waiting costs £14,155. Time in the plan matters more than the perfect moment to start.

Where to put the money: an emergency fund in easy-access savings comes first; for goals 5+ years away many people use a Stocks & Shares ISA. The difference is explained in Savings Foundations and Compound Growth.

🔒 Calculated on your device; nothing is stored or sent. This tool is education, not investment advice. Investments can fall as well as rise, and past performance doesn't guarantee future returns.

This tool needs JavaScript (it runs entirely on your device). The idea in one line: regular saving compounds, so the earlier you start, the more of your final pot is growth rather than your own money.

Important information

Any growth rate here is an assumption, not a forecast, a promise, or a typical result. Where you have not changed it, the figure is our default rather than your choice, and you can change it. Investments can fall as well as rise, you may get back less than you put in, and past performance is not a guide to future performance.

The content of this calculator is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or professional advice. It is not regulated financial, tax, mortgage, investment or legal advice, and using it does not make us your adviser.

We do not make personal recommendations. The tool shows you the result of a calculation based on the figures you enter. It does not tell you what you should do, and nothing it shows is presented as suitable for you or your circumstances.

The figures are estimates worked out by a computer program from the assumptions and information you enter. They are not a quote, an offer, or a statement of what you will actually pay or receive, and they will not reflect every part of your personal circumstances.

Please do not make a financial decision on these figures alone. Check your position against the relevant official source, or with a suitably qualified professional, before you act.

We take care to keep this tool accurate, but we cannot guarantee it is free from error or fully up to date, and so far as the law allows we cannot accept liability for any loss that comes from relying on it.