How long until I'm a millionaire?
Same math as our savings calculator, with the goal fixed at $1,000,000 — see your crossing date and the age you'll be.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it actually take to become a millionaire with average returns?
At the stock market's long-run nominal average of about 10% a year (the S&P 500 including dividends, before inflation), someone starting from $0 who invests $1,000 a month crosses $1,000,000 in about 22 years and 5 months. Contribute $500 a month instead and it stretches to about 28 years and 10 months. Your own timeline depends entirely on your starting balance, contribution size, and the rate you actually earn — enter your numbers above for an exact date.
What's a realistic rate of return to assume — the 4%, 7%, or 10% preset?
10% is the S&P 500's long-run nominal average before inflation. 7% is that same market return after subtracting roughly 3% average U.S. inflation, so it reflects what $1,000,000 will actually be worth in today's purchasing power — most long-horizon investors plan around this one. 4% mirrors a high-yield savings account or CD ladder, appropriate if you're not investing in stocks at all. When in doubt, use 7%.
Does this include Social Security or other income?
No. This calculator only tracks the account balance you enter — your current savings plus monthly contributions growing at your chosen rate. Social Security, pensions, home equity, business value, and other assets aren't part of the $1,000,000 figure here, so your real net worth could cross seven figures sooner than this projection shows.
What if I'm starting from $0?
Enter $0 as your current balance — the calculator handles it fine. The main difference is that your timeline is then driven almost entirely by your monthly contribution and rate of return rather than existing savings doing early heavy lifting, so increasing your monthly contribution has an outsized effect when you're starting from scratch.
How does compounding make such a big difference over time?
Every dollar you contribute starts earning its own return, and those returns start earning returns too. In the early years, most of your balance growth comes from the money you personally put in; in the later years the reverse is true — the account can add tens of thousands of dollars in a single year without another contribution from you. That's why the last few years before you hit $1,000,000 go by noticeably faster than the first few.