The 8th Wonder — Compounding Calculator

Why the curve bends up at the end

For the first years your balance is small, so the growth is small — it can feel like nothing is happening. But gains start earning gains. As the balance grows, each year adds more than the last, so the line curves upward and the biggest dollar gains land in the final years. That's why the rarest ingredient isn't money — it's time. Starting a few years earlier can matter more than the amount you invest.

This is an illustration, not a projection. It assumes the same return every year; real markets rise and fall. It ignores taxes, fees, and inflation. Use it to understand the shape of compounding, not to predict a number. See the idea in today's market levels →