LifeMeter special
How far could your wealth go?
Set your starting portfolio and assumptions. See a range of possible values after inflation, fees and estimated tax drag.
Estimated purchasing power
$0
Enter assumptions to calculate your horizon.
Possible paths
How the range changes over time
LowerMiddleHigher
The range comes from 2,000 reproducible simulations using your return and volatility assumptions. It omits withdrawals, changing asset allocations, market regimes and irregular cash flows.
Read the result
What the numbers mean
Future dollars are the balance shown in the money of the final year. Purchasing power converts that balance into today’s dollars using your inflation assumption. The lower and higher figures show the 10th and 90th percentiles of the simulation, not guaranteed boundaries.
How is the scenario calculated?
Contributions are added monthly and increase once a year by the contribution-growth input. The deterministic balance compounds at the stated annual return after subtracting fees and estimated tax drag. The simulation uses independent monthly lognormal returns derived from the same annual return and volatility inputs. A fixed random seed makes identical inputs reproduce identical outputs.
What does volatility mean?
Volatility describes how widely returns vary around the assumed average. A higher value widens the range of possible outcomes. It does not specify when losses occur and does not fully represent severe crashes, persistent inflation or shifts between market regimes.
Why is tax shown as drag?
Tax treatment varies too much for one calculator to estimate precisely. This tool lets you reduce the assumed annual return by a chosen number of percentage points. Set it to zero for a tax-sheltered approximation. Use a qualified professional for account-specific analysis.
Methodology and sources
An assumption model, not a market forecast
The calculator does not import historical returns or claim that its presets are expected outcomes. The presets are editable illustrations. Inflation adjustment follows the standard compound-price relationship. The simulation is a simplified educational model and should not be used as a sole basis for a financial decision.