Savings plan calculator
What will your savings plan be worth?
Enter your monthly amount, term and return. The calculator shows the final value, your contributions and what is left after tax.
Examples:€50 a month€100 a month€250 a month€500 a month
All amounts in euros, tax under German rules.
Increase, inflation and saver's allowance
Converts the result into today's purchasing power.
Portfolio value at the end of each year
- paid in
- return
What the calculation uses
This is a calculator with your assumptions, not a forecast, not a price target and not a recommendation. The return is assumed to be the same over the whole term; real prices fluctuate and can fall for a long time. The tax is an approximation under German rules: sale at the end, saver's allowance of €1,000, without the advance lump-sum tax and church tax.
How it is calculated
- The return per year becomes the effective monthly rate: the twelfth root of 1 plus the return, minus 1. At 7% that is 0.565% a month, and twelve such months make exactly 7%.
- Each month the balance grows by the monthly rate, and the monthly amount is added at the end of the month. The starting amount is invested from day one.
- With an increase, the monthly amount goes up by the chosen percentage every twelve months.
- The gain is the final value minus everything you paid in.
- For tax, 30% of the gain from an equity ETF is tax-free. The saver's allowance comes off the rest, and 26.375% applies to what is above it (25% flat-rate tax plus 5.5% solidarity surcharge).
- Today's purchasing power is the final value after tax, divided by 1 plus inflation to the power of the number of years.
Assumptions and notes
- The return is the same over the whole term. Real prices fluctuate and can fall for years, and with a savings plan the order of good and bad years also changes the result.
- Costs are not deducted. The easiest way to include an ETF's ongoing charges and order fees is to subtract them from the return.
- The tax is an approximation for a sale at the end. The yearly advance lump-sum tax, which brings part of the tax forward, and church tax are not included, and the saver's allowance counts once rather than every year.
- The 30% partial exemption applies to equity funds and equity ETFs that keep more than half in stocks at all times. Individual stocks do not get it, so switch it off for them.
- The monthly amount is paid at the end of each month. Paying at the start of the month ends up slightly higher because each payment stays invested one month longer.
What a monthly amount grows to at 7% a year
Final value before tax and costs, each payment at the end of the month.
| Monthly amount | after 10 years | after 20 years | after 30 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| €50 | €8,553from €6,000 | €25,377from €12,000 | €58,473from €18,000 |
| €100 | €17,105from €12,000 | €50,754from €24,000 | €116,945from €36,000 |
| €250 | €42,763from €30,000 | €126,884from €60,000 | €292,363from €90,000 |
| €500 | €85,526from €60,000 | €253,768from €120,000 | €584,726from €180,000 |
Frequently asked questions
How much does €100 a month grow to?
At a 7% return per year, €100 a month grows to €17,105 after 10 years, €50,754 after 20 years and €116,945 after 30 years, each before tax. After 30 years you have paid in €36,000; the rest is return. Nobody knows whether 7% will be reached, so calculate with less as well.
Why does this calculator show less than some others?
Many calculators divide the annual return by twelve and apply 0.583% each month. Compounded twelve times, though, that is 7.23% a year instead of 7%. With €100 a month over 30 years this gives €121,997 instead of €116,945. This calculator uses the twelfth root, 0.565% a month, and so arrives at exactly the annual return you enter.
Which return should I enter?
Nobody can tell you for sure, and this calculator does not either. The return here is the same over the whole term; real prices fluctuate and can fall for years. It is best to calculate with several values, such as 3, 5 and 7%, and see how far apart the results are. Subtract costs such as an ETF's ongoing charges from the return.
How is the tax calculated?
As an approximation for a sale at the end, under German rules: with an equity ETF, 30% of the gain is tax-free (partial exemption), the saver's allowance comes off the rest, and 25% flat-rate tax plus 5.5% solidarity surcharge applies to what is above it, 26.375% in total. With €250 a month over 20 years at 7%, that is €12,085 on a gain of €66,884, leaving €114,799 after tax. The yearly advance lump-sum tax, which brings part of the tax forward, and church tax are not included.
What does raising the monthly amount each year do?
If you raise €250 by 3% every year, you pay €438 a month in year 20. After 20 years at 7% you then have €159,673 instead of €126,884, having paid in €80,611 instead of €60,000. That way the savings plan grows along with your income.
What does “in today's purchasing power” mean?
How much the final value after tax is worth in today's money if prices rise by the chosen inflation every year. €250 a month at 7% grows to €126,884 in 20 years, and €114,799 is left after tax. At 2% inflation that corresponds to €77,257 today. The figure helps you compare the result with what you can buy with money today.