Cost of delay
Almost everyone intends to start investing. The gap between intending and starting is usually a couple of years, and it is more expensive than most people expect — because the instalments you skip at the beginning are the ones that had the longest to compound.
Both investors below stop on this same date.
Waiting 5 years costs you
₹89,84,872
You would only skip ₹6,00,000 of contributions to lose this much
Start today
₹1,89,76,351
300 instalments
Start in 5 yr
₹99,91,479
240 instalments
Both finish on the same day
The later start never catches up, because the instalments it missed were the ones with the longest time to compound.
To end up in the same place
This is a fair comparison, not a scare
- Both investors stop on the same date. The late starter simply makes fewer instalments. Comparing “20 years from today” against “20 years from 2031” would move the finish line and overstate the penalty.
- The delayed investor is assumed not to have invested that money elsewhere in the meantime. If you are clearing high-interest debt first, that is usually the better use of the money and this comparison does not apply.
- A steady annual return is assumed. Real markets are lumpy, and starting just before a long flat stretch produces a different answer.
Important — This calculator is an illustration based on the assumptions you enter. It is not a projection or guarantee of returns, and it does not account for exit loads, stamp duty or the taxes payable on redemption. Actual returns will differ. Please consult us before acting on any figure shown here.
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