Why a small edge in annual return snowballs
Three percentage points a year sounds trivial. Held for decades, it isn’t — compounding multiplies the gap. The calculator below pits two annual returns against each other, pre-loaded with ingruc’s real CAGR versus the S&P 500. Change any number and watch the two curves separate.
After 10 years, a $10,000 stake becomes
A +4.8-point higher annual return, compounded over 10 years, turns the same $10,000 stake into 1.5× as much.
These are the real figures — ingruc’s 20.2% CAGR and the S&P 500’s 15.4%. See them on the live performance page
Try your own numbers
Compounding assumes a constant annual return with no contributions, fees or taxes — a smooth illustration, not a forecast. Real returns arrive unevenly. Seeded from live data as of 6 August 2026.
Want the reasoning, not just the numbers? Read the compounding chart for what 7%, 10% and 15% do over 10, 20 and 30 years — and why costs and taxes compound by the same mechanics. Or see the edge in the wild on the live performance page.
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