Global ETF Compound Calculator
Project a globally diversified ETF portfolio over decades, and see exactly how much of the final balance is your money, how much is compounding, and how much the fees quietly took.
Your numbers
Net return used: 7.80%
Results update instantly as you type. Inputs are remembered in your browser only.
Projected wealth
$530,189
What you could be worth in 25 years
Money you put in
$160,000
Your own contributions
Wealth the market built for you
$370,189
231.4% on top of everything you saved
Head start already working
$65,384
What today's balance alone grows into, if you added nothing more
Spending power in today's money
$285,979
After 2.5% inflation
Lifetime cost of fees
$18,726
0.20% per year compounded
Net annual return
7.80%
Gross return minus fee
Projections use a constant annual return and are illustrative only. Real markets are volatile and past performance does not predict future results. This is not investment advice.
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Contributions vs. compounded growth
Year-by-year projection
| Year | Contributed | Growth | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | $10,000 | $0 | $10,000 |
| 1 | $16,000 | $1,028 | $17,028 |
| 2 | $22,000 | $2,624 | $24,624 |
| 3 | $28,000 | $4,834 | $32,834 |
| 4 | $34,000 | $7,707 | $41,707 |
| 5 | $40,000 | $11,299 | $51,299 |
| 6 | $46,000 | $15,665 | $61,665 |
| 7 | $52,000 | $20,870 | $72,870 |
| 8 | $58,000 | $26,981 | $84,981 |
| 9 | $64,000 | $34,071 | $98,071 |
| 10 | $70,000 | $42,219 | $112,219 |
| 11 | $76,000 | $51,511 | $127,511 |
| 12 | $82,000 | $62,040 | $144,040 |
| 13 | $88,000 | $73,905 | $161,905 |
| 14 | $94,000 | $87,214 | $181,214 |
| 15 | $100,000 | $102,084 | $202,084 |
| 16 | $106,000 | $118,642 | $224,642 |
| 17 | $112,000 | $137,023 | $249,023 |
| 18 | $118,000 | $157,376 | $275,376 |
| 19 | $124,000 | $179,859 | $303,859 |
| 20 | $130,000 | $204,645 | $334,645 |
| 21 | $136,000 | $231,921 | $367,921 |
| 22 | $142,000 | $261,886 | $403,886 |
| 23 | $148,000 | $294,760 | $442,760 |
| 24 | $154,000 | $330,776 | $484,776 |
| 25 | $160,000 | $370,189 | $530,189 |
About this calculator
Compounding is unremarkable in the first few years and overwhelming in the last few. The stacked area chart makes the crossover visible: for a long time the green contribution band dominates, then growth overtakes it and the gap widens every year after. This is why time in the market is usually more decisive than the exact return assumption.
A global ETF spreads that exposure across thousands of companies in dozens of countries, so no single company or economy determines the outcome. Diversification does not remove risk — a global index still falls sharply in a global downturn — but it removes the specific risk of being wrong about one stock or one market.
Fees deserve their own line in the results. An expense ratio is charged on the entire balance every year, including the growth you have already earned, so its cost compounds exactly the way your returns do. The lifetime fee figure above is often the single largest controllable number on this page.
Accumulating share classes reinvest dividends automatically, which suits long growth phases; distributing classes pay cash out. Currency hedging adds cost and rarely pays off over decades of equity investing. Use whatever tax-advantaged wrapper your country offers first, and rebalance roughly once a year to keep your risk level where you chose it.
FAQ
What return should I assume for a global ETF?
Long-run global equity returns have historically fallen somewhere around 7-9% nominal before fees, but any single decade can be far higher or lower. Model a range rather than a single optimistic number, and subtract your fund's expense ratio.
How does the fee input change the result?
The annual fee is deducted from your gross return, so a 0.2% versus 1.0% expense ratio quietly compounds into a large difference over twenty or thirty years. Change the fee field and watch the ending balance move.
Is inflation accounted for?
Yes, optionally. If you enter an inflation rate we also show the ending balance in today's purchasing power, which is usually the more meaningful number for long-horizon planning.
Are dividends and taxes included?
Returns are treated as total return, so dividends are assumed reinvested. Taxes, withholding on foreign dividends and transaction costs are not modelled and will reduce real-world outcomes.