📈 Compound Interest

$10,000 at 9% for 5 Years

Investing $10,000 at 9% annual compound interest for 5 years grows to $15,386. That's $5,386 earned in interest on top of your original $10,000.

If you want to adjust the return assumption, extend the timeframe, or add regular contributions, use the compound interest calculator.

If you want the plain-English explanation behind the numbers, read our guide to compound interest.

Compound Interest Calculator
Australia 2026
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%
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Total value after 5 years
$15,386
Amount invested$10,000
Interest earned$5,386
Interest multiplier1.54×
Year-by-year growth
YearBalanceInterest
Yr 1$10,900+$900
Yr 2$11,881+$981
Yr 3$12,950+$1,069
Yr 4$14,116+$1,166
Yr 5$15,386+$1,270
Final balance after 5 years
$15,386
Invested
$10,000
Interest earned
$5,386
Multiplier
1.54×

How $10,000 grows at 9%

Compound interest earns returns on your returns — not just your original investment. At 9% per year, your money doubles every 8 years (the Rule of 72). Over 5 years, that compounds to a 1.54× multiplier.

In year 1, $10,000 earns $900 in interest. By year 5, the annual interest has grown to $1,270 — because each year's interest is calculated on a larger balance.

This is why longer holding periods matter so much. The later years do more of the heavy lifting, especially once the balance is large enough to generate bigger dollar returns each year.

$10,000 for 5 years at different rates
RateFinal balanceInterest earnedMultiplier
4%$12,167$2,1671.22×
5%$12,763$2,7631.28×
6%$13,382$3,3821.34×
7%$14,026$4,0261.40×
8%$14,693$4,6931.47×
9% ◀$15,386$5,3861.54×
10%$16,105$6,1051.61×

Year-by-year projection

YearBalanceInterest this yearTotal interestGrowth
Year 1$10,900+$900$9001.09×
Year 2$11,881+$981$1,8811.19×
Year 3$12,950+$1,069$2,9501.30×
Year 4$14,116+$1,166$4,1161.41×
Year 5$15,386+$1,270$5,3861.54×

Growth chart

Balance growth over 5 years
$4k$8k$12k$15kYr1Yr5
Principal
Interest earned

Frequently asked questions

Related compound interest scenarios

Use these nearby examples to compare what changes when you keep the same starting balance, extend the investing period, or test a more aggressive return assumption.

Compound interest guide and tools

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