Whatever your goals are, saving and investing are ways to have a nest egg in the future. While saving is more for the short-term, investing tends to be for the long-term. However, combining both can give market participants the best results.
With the savings goal of $10,000 over a 2-year period and a starting investment of just $100, Finbold ran the numbers to see how much you would need to invest each month to reach the above-mentioned goal in two years.
Namely, the three scenarios that we will be considering include
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- 3% for a cautious portfolio
- 9% for a portfolio that is heavily reliant on stocks or which tracks one of the major indexes
- 15% for a more aggressive portfolio that encompasses more risky investments that promise high returns.
Calculations were carried out using the Smart Asset investment calculator, which evaluates the growth of assets over time.
Our results
For our conservative portfolio returning 3% annually, we concluded that an initial investment of $100 would need to be topped up monthly with $401 per month. After the two years are up, the portfolio and savings would be worth $10,012.
Further, for the moderate rate of return of 9% per annum, the math looks quite different. Namely, the starting amount is the same at $100; however, the monthly top-ups are now reduced to $378, to give a final sum of $10,019 over a 2-year period.
In the end, our more aggressive portfolio would have to have an investment of ‘just’ $355 per month, to go along with the starting sum of $100. In the end, the sum would reach $10,000 in 2 years with a compound interest of 15% annually.
Investing for the future
Time in the market is very important so starting as soon as possible is the option for someone looking to accumulate a lump sum soon.
Namely, starting now with as little as $100 and making monthly top-ups in any of the three portfolios outlined above could give investors a nice sum of $10,000 that could be further reinvested or used to cover other expenses.
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Disclaimer: The content on this site should not be considered investment advice. Investing is speculative. When investing, your capital is at risk.
