Investment Return Calculator — Total Return & CAGR
Doubling your money sounds great — but over how many years? Total return ignores time; CAGR annualizes it so you can compare any two investments honestly. Enter start, end, and years to get both.
- Total return
- 80.0%
- Total gain
- $8,000.00
How this calculator works
- CAGR = (end ÷ start)^(1/years) − 1: the steady annual rate that would produce the same result. An 80% gain over 5 years is a 12.5% CAGR — over 10 years, only 6.1%.
- CAGR ignores cash added or withdrawn along the way; for accounts with ongoing contributions, money-weighted return (IRR) is the precise measure.
Frequently asked questions
What's a good annual return?
The S&P 500 has averaged ~10% nominal (7% real) over the last century. Consistently beating that after fees is rare — which is why low-cost index funds are the default recommendation.
CAGR vs average return?
Arithmetic averages overstate results with volatility: +50% then −50% 'averages' 0% but actually loses 25%. CAGR reflects what your money truly did.
Does this include dividends?
Only if your ending value includes reinvested dividends. Total-return figures (with dividends) run ~2% a year above price-only returns for the S&P 500.
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Disclaimer: Results are estimates for educational purposes only and are not tax, legal, or financial advice. Tax rules are simplified (credits, phase-outs, and local taxes may not be modeled). Verify important decisions with the IRS, your state tax authority, or a licensed professional.