Portfolio growth calculator
Put everything you have in one place, then see how it's split and what it could grow to.
We've filled in an example. Replace it with your own numbers. The example isn't a recommended way to split your money. Everything stays on your device: nothing you enter is sent to us.
£8,000today
Each band is one account, and the bands are stacked on top of each other. An illustration only: real returns go up and down.
How this calculator works
For each account, it adds your monthly amount at the end of each month and grows the balance each month at a rate that works out to the yearly growth rate you've set. It then adds the accounts together. It's an illustration, not a prediction.
- The growth rates are assumptions, not forecasts. We've started cash and other savings at 3%, investments at 5% and the Lifetime ISA, which can hold either, at 4%. Change them to anything between 0% and 15%. Cash rates change over time, and investments can fall in value.
- It leaves out fees, tax and inflation. Fees reduce growth, and rising prices mean money in the future buys less. For pensions, include your employer's contributions and tax relief in the monthly amount if you want them counted.
- It doesn't add the Lifetime ISA bonus. The government adds 25% to what you pay into a Lifetime ISA, up to £1,000 a year on up to £4,000 of payments. To count it, add the bonus to your monthly amount. This calculator doesn't check ISA limits.
- It doesn't suggest how to split your money. The right mix depends on your circumstances. Ask Axel explains how things work, but it doesn't give personal advice.
Nothing you enter is sent to us. If you tick 'Remember my numbers on this device', they're saved in your browser only, and 'Clear all' removes them.
What returns have looked like
The note under each account compares your growth rate with these real figures.
| Type | Average | Period | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash in UK bank accounts | 0.8% a year | 2016 to 2025 | Average rate actually paid on households' instant-access balances (Bank of England) |
| Bank of England Bank Rate | 1.8% a year | 2016 to 2025 | Average over the period. It's 3.75% today |
| UK inflation (CPI) | 3.3% a year | 2016 to 2025 | How fast prices rose on average (ONS) |
| UK government bonds (gilts) | About 0% a year | 2016 to 2025 | Total return, in pounds |
| UK shares (FTSE 100) | 8.8% a year | 2016 to 2025 | Total return, in pounds |
| Global shares (MSCI World) | 12.6% a year | 10 years to 30 September 2026 | Total return, in pounds |
| Global shares (MSCI World) | 8.0% a year | End of 2000 to 30 September 2026 | Total return, in pounds, over a longer period |
| US shares (S&P 500) | 15.3% a year | 10 years to 30 September 2026 | Total return, in US dollars |
| Emerging markets (MSCI Emerging Markets) | 8.8% a year | 10 years to 30 September 2026 | Total return, in pounds |
Share and bond figures are total returns, with dividends and interest reinvested, before fund and platform fees and before inflation. Past performance is not a reliable guide to future returns. The S&P 500 figure is in US dollars, so a UK investor's return would also have depended on the exchange rate.