How Long to Save $X
Exact timelines to reach every major savings milestone — from $100k to $2M — at different monthly contribution amounts. Starting from $0 at 7% annual return.
7% annual return · Starting from $0 · Years to reach target
| Target | $500/mo | $1,000/mo | $1,500/mo | $2,000/mo | $2,500/mo | $3,000/mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100k | 11.08 yrs | 6.58 yrs | 4.71 yrs | 3.67 yrs | 3 yrs | 2.55 yrs |
| $250k | 19.56 yrs | 12.89 yrs | 9.73 yrs | 7.85 yrs | 6.58 yrs | 5.68 yrs |
| $500k | 27.53 yrs | 19.56 yrs | 15.47 yrs | 12.89 yrs | 11.08 yrs | 9.73 yrs |
| $750k | 32.63 yrs | 24.1 yrs | 19.56 yrs | 16.61 yrs | 14.49 yrs | 12.89 yrs |
| $1M | 36.38 yrs | 27.53 yrs | 22.74 yrs | 19.56 yrs | 17.25 yrs | 15.47 yrs |
| $1.5M | 41.8 yrs | 32.63 yrs | 27.53 yrs | 24.1 yrs | 21.55 yrs | 19.56 yrs |
| $2M | 45.73 yrs | 36.38 yrs | 31.12 yrs | 27.53 yrs | 24.85 yrs | 22.74 yrs |
Why Higher Contributions Save Disproportionately More Time
Doubling your monthly contribution does not halve the time to your target — it cuts it by more than half. The reason is compound interest. A larger balance grows faster in absolute dollar terms, which means you need fewer years of contributions to bridge the gap.
This is why front-loading investments early in your career — even temporarily — has an outsized impact on how quickly you hit major savings milestones.
See Your Year-by-Year Breakdown
The compound interest calculator shows the full projection — contributions vs growth — so you can see when compound interest takes over.
Open Compound Interest Calculator →Browse All Timelines
$100k target
$250k target
$500k target
$750k target
$1M target
$1.5M target