Question 1

What does $1,000 grow to at 9% for 20 years?

Accepted Answer

$1,000 invested at 9% annual compound interest for 20 years grows to $5,604. Your original investment earns $4,604 in interest — a 460.4% total return and a 5.60× multiplier on your money.

Question 2

How long does it take to double money at 9%?

Accepted Answer

At 9% annual compound interest, your money doubles approximately every 8 years (the Rule of 72: 72 ÷ 9 = 8). Over 20 years, $1,000 has the potential to double 2.5 times.

Question 3

Is 9% a realistic return?

Accepted Answer

9% is an optimistic but achievable return for growth-oriented share portfolios over long time horizons. The ASX 200 has averaged around 9–10% p.a. including dividends. A 9% assumption requires patience and comfort with short-term market volatility.

Question 4

What's the effect of adding regular contributions?

Accepted Answer

These figures show a one-time lump sum of $1,000 with no additional contributions. Adding regular contributions compounds the growth dramatically. For example, adding $200/month to $1,000 at 9% for 20 years would result in a significantly larger final balance. Use the interactive calculator above to model your own contribution amount.

Question 5

How does inflation affect this result?

Accepted Answer

This calculator shows nominal returns — the dollar figures before adjusting for inflation. Australia's historical inflation rate is around 2–3% per year. To estimate real purchasing power, subtract the inflation rate from your return: at 9% return and 2.5% inflation, your real return is approximately 6.5% p.a. In real terms, $5,604 in 20 years would buy meaningfully less than it does today.

Year	Balance	Interest
Yr 1	$1,090	+$90
Yr 2	$1,188	+$98
Yr 3	$1,295	+$107
Yr 4	$1,412	+$117
Yr 5	$1,539	+$127
Yr 6	$1,677	+$138
Yr 7	$1,828	+$151
Yr 8	$1,993	+$165
Yr 9	$2,172	+$179
Yr 10	$2,367	+$195
Yr 11	$2,580	+$213
Yr 12	$2,813	+$232
Yr 13	$3,066	+$253
Yr 14	$3,342	+$276
Yr 15	$3,642	+$301
Yr 16	$3,970	+$328
Yr 17	$4,328	+$357
Yr 18	$4,717	+$389
Yr 19	$5,142	+$425
Yr 20	$5,604	+$463

Rate	Final balance	Interest earned	Multiplier
4%	$2,191	$1,191	2.19×
5%	$2,653	$1,653	2.65×
6%	$3,207	$2,207	3.21×
7%	$3,870	$2,870	3.87×
8%	$4,661	$3,661	4.66×
9% ◀	$5,604	$4,604	5.60×
10%	$6,727	$5,727	6.73×

Year	Balance	Interest this year	Total interest	Growth
Year 1	$1,090	+$90	$90	1.09×
Year 2	$1,188	+$98	$188	1.19×
Year 3	$1,295	+$107	$295	1.30×
Year 4	$1,412	+$117	$412	1.41×
Year 5	$1,539	+$127	$539	1.54×
Year 6	$1,677	+$138	$677	1.68×
Year 7	$1,828	+$151	$828	1.83×
Year 8	$1,993	+$165	$993	1.99×
Year 9	$2,172	+$179	$1,172	2.17×
Year 10	$2,367	+$195	$1,367	2.37×
Year 11	$2,580	+$213	$1,580	2.58×
Year 12	$2,813	+$232	$1,813	2.81×
Year 13	$3,066	+$253	$2,066	3.07×
Year 14	$3,342	+$276	$2,342	3.34×
Year 15	$3,642	+$301	$2,642	3.64×
Year 16	$3,970	+$328	$2,970	3.97×
Year 17	$4,328	+$357	$3,328	4.33×
Year 18	$4,717	+$389	$3,717	4.72×
Year 19	$5,142	+$425	$4,142	5.14×
Year 20	$5,604	+$463	$4,604	5.60×

Year	Balance	Interest
Yr 1	$1,090	+$90
Yr 2	$1,188	+$98
Yr 3	$1,295	+$107
Yr 4	$1,412	+$117
Yr 5	$1,539	+$127
Yr 6	$1,677	+$138
Yr 7	$1,828	+$151
Yr 8	$1,993	+$165
Yr 9	$2,172	+$179
Yr 10	$2,367	+$195
Yr 11	$2,580	+$213
Yr 12	$2,813	+$232
Yr 13	$3,066	+$253
Yr 14	$3,342	+$276
Yr 15	$3,642	+$301
Yr 16	$3,970	+$328
Yr 17	$4,328	+$357
Yr 18	$4,717	+$389
Yr 19	$5,142	+$425
Yr 20	$5,604	+$463

$1,000 at 9% for 20 Years

How $1,000 grows at 9%

Year-by-year projection

Growth chart

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