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Financial Planning

Investment Return Calculator

Calculate the total return on an investment including dividends or interest received and fees paid, plus the annualized return.

Your inputs

Results

Total return

17.5%

Net gain
$1,750.00
Annualized return
8.397%
Price return only
15%

✓Exact calculation — rounded only for display

Inputs are never added to links for financial, salary or health calculators.

What this calculator does

Price change alone understates what an investment earned if it also paid income, and overstates it if you paid fees. This tool combines all three into total and annualized returns.

Formula and method

Total return = (end value − start value + income − fees) ÷ start value Annualized = (1 + total return)^(1/years) − 1

Worked example

Calculated by this tool with its default inputs:

Inputs

  • Starting value: 10000 (any currency)
  • Ending value: 11500 (any currency)
  • Dividends / interest received: 300 (any currency)
  • Fees and costs paid: 50 (any currency)
  • Holding period: 2 years

Results

  • Total return: 17.5%
  • Net gain: 1,750
  • Annualized return: 8.397%
  • Price return only: 15%

How to read the results

Use the annualized figure to compare investments held for different lengths of time.

Assumptions and limitations

  • Assumes no additional contributions or withdrawals during the period (otherwise use a money-weighted return).
  • Taxes are not included.

Financial results are estimates based on the inputs and assumptions shown. They are not financial advice; confirm figures with your lender, provider or a qualified adviser before making decisions.

Questions

Why is annualized lower than total ÷ years?

Annualizing accounts for compounding: 17.5 % over two years is about 8.4 % a year, not 8.75 %.

Methodology and verification

Result type
Exact mathematical calculation (rounded only for display)
Formula version
1.0
Automated verification
2 reference and validation test cases, checked against independently computed values. The site cannot be built if any of them fail.
Editorial review
Awaiting human editorial review. The explanation was drafted with AI assistance; the formula and examples are verified by the automated tests above.

Privacy

Everything you enter is calculated in this browser and is not sent to Numerith or anyone else. Because this calculator can involve personal financial or health details, your inputs are never added to share links or saved to history. Privacy policy