Total Investment Return Rate Calculator
See the headline return on an investment after you account for any new money added along the way. Enter the starting principal, sum of later contributions, and the ending value to calculate the overall percentage gain or loss.
Provides a high-level performance snapshot only; consult a financial professional for full portfolio analysis.
Examples
- $1,000 initial + $500 contributions → $2,000 final value ⇒ 33.33% return
- $2,000 initial + $0 contributions → $2,400 final value ⇒ 20.00% return
- $5,000 initial + $2,000 contributions → $6,300 final value ⇒ −10.00% return
FAQ
Does this account for the timing of contributions?
No. It treats all money invested as if it were contributed on day one, so it does not annualize or weight cash flows.
What if the final value is less than what I invested?
The calculator returns a negative percentage, highlighting an overall loss relative to the money you put in.
Can I include management fees or withdrawals?
Yes. Add fees to the contributions field or subtract withdrawals from the final value to capture their impact.
Is this the same as annual return?
No. Annual returns require information about how long the investment was held—use CAGR or IRR tools for that insight.
Why do I need to include contributions separately from the initial investment?
Separating them prevents overstating performance by ensuring new deposits are not mistaken for investment gains.
Additional Information
- This is a simple total return calculation that ignores when the contributions occurred and how long the investment was held.
- A positive result means the final value exceeds total cash invested; a negative percentage indicates a loss.
- Use the same currency for all inputs—USD is shown here, but any currency works as long as it is consistent.
- For time-adjusted metrics, consider internal rate of return (IRR) or annualized return calculators.