Compound Interest (Real World)

Most compound calculators ignore the stuff that hurts: inflation and fees. This one shows both nominal (future dollars) and real (today’s dollars).

Inputs

Year-by-year (first 25 years)

Year	Nominal value	Real value (today)	Total contributed

Model: monthly compounding, fees applied as a drag on return (approx). Contributions at month end.

Results

Reality check

If you ignored fees + inflation, you’d think you have:

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But in today’s dollars you really have:

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The difference is inflation and fees — not bad math.

Final nominal value

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Final real value (today)

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Total contributed

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Total growth (nominal)

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FAQ

Why do fees matter?
A small annual fee compounds against you for decades.

What is “real value”?
Nominal value adjusted for inflation: what it’s worth in today’s purchasing power.