What if you’d Invested in S&P 500 Index funds?

An S&P 500 index fund lets you own a small piece of about 500 large U.S. companies in one investment. With low costs and time to grow, it can be a simple way to build savings without picking individual stocks.

Start with your plan

Enter your starting investment, monthly contribution and years to invest. The calculator replays your plan across complete historical periods in Robert Shiller’s data, using the same engine as our advanced simulator.

Three historical outcomes

Compare typical, favorable and unfavorable outcomes with their own charts and total returns. All values account for inflation. Contributions increase annually with prices, company payouts are reinvested, and taxes and fees are excluded. These are historical examples, not forecasts; you can lose money.