Contribution Pause Calculator
Compare continuing your monthly investments with taking a temporary contribution break. See the difference in contributions, projected growth and final portfolio value.
The amount already invested before any new contributions.
Total annual return including dividends. Must be greater than −100%. A constant rate is assumed for illustration only.
Whole years, 1–50. Longer horizons compound more, but the constant-return assumption becomes less realistic.
0 months before the pause means you skip the first monthly contribution.
Contributions resume at their original amount after the pause — no catch-up payments.
Final value — keep contributing
US$62,597.89
Final value — with pause
US$59,707.24
New contributions — keep contributing
US$36,000.00
New contributions — with pause
US$34,200.00
Projected gain/loss — keep contributing
US$16,597.89
Projected gain/loss — with pause
US$15,507.24
Contributions skipped
US$1,800.00
6 month pause
Projected final-value gap
US$2,890.65
Difference in projected gains
US$1,090.65
Part of the final-value gap is simply money that was never contributed. Only the difference in projected gains/losses reflects the effect of the pause on growth itself.
| Year | Keep contributing | With pause | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US$14,181.77 | US$12,318.43 | US$1,863.34 |
| 2 | US$18,572.64 | US$16,616.13 | US$1,956.51 |
| 3 | US$23,183.04 | US$21,128.71 | US$2,054.33 |
| 4 | US$28,023.97 | US$25,866.92 | US$2,157.05 |
| 5 | US$33,106.94 | US$30,842.04 | US$2,264.90 |
| 6 | US$38,444.06 | US$36,065.91 | US$2,378.15 |
| 7 | US$44,048.03 | US$41,550.98 | US$2,497.05 |
| 8 | US$49,932.21 | US$47,310.30 | US$2,621.91 |
| 9 | US$56,110.59 | US$53,357.59 | US$2,753.00 |
| 10 | US$62,597.89 | US$59,707.24 | US$2,890.65 |
What this calculator compares
It runs two scenarios side by side from the same starting balance: (A) you keep contributing every month, and (B) you skip contributions during the pause window, then resume at the same amount. Growth is applied monthly at a constant rate derived from your annual assumption.
Skipped contributions and missed growth are different things. The final-value gap mixes both: part of it is just the money you didn't put in, and only the difference in projected gains/losses shows the growth you missed (or, with negative returns, the losses you avoided).
Pause timing matters. The same pause costs less growth when it happens early in a long horizon with modest returns, and more when it interrupts a large, fast-growing balance later on. Try moving the "months before the pause" value to see the difference.
A temporary pause is sometimes necessary — for an emergency, a big purchase or a cash-flow gap. This calculator doesn't judge personal financial decisions; it shows the arithmetic either way. Resuming is modelled without catch-up payments, and constant returns are illustrative, not forecasts.
Taxes, fees and inflation are excluded unless they're already baked into the return you enter.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I stop investing for six months?
You skip six contributions, and the money you would have contributed never compounds. The results show the contributions skipped, the final-value gap, and how much of that gap is growth rather than contributions.
Does my existing balance keep growing during the pause?
Yes. Only contributions stop — the balance you already have stays invested and keeps compounding at the assumed rate in both scenarios.
Can I pause later instead of starting now?
Yes — set "months before the pause begins" to delay it. Pausing later interrupts a larger balance, which usually changes the projected cost of the same-length pause.
Does the calculator assume I catch up afterward?
No. After the pause, contributions resume at their original monthly amount with no catch-up payments. If you plan to catch up, model it as a shorter pause or a higher contribution.
Are taxes, fees and inflation included?
No — they're excluded unless your return assumption already reflects them. For an after-fee view, enter a net return.
How this calculator works
Monthly rate = (1 + annual return ÷ 100)^(1 ÷ 12) − 1Ending balance = previous balance × (1 + monthly rate) + that month's contributionProjected gain/loss = final value − starting balance − total new contributionsFinal-value gap = continuous final value − paused final value
- Both scenarios start from the same balance and use the same constant hypothetical return; growth is applied monthly and contributions are added at the end of each month.
- 0 months before the pause means you skip the first monthly contribution. Existing investments remain invested during the pause, and contributions resume at their original amount afterward — no catch-up payments are modelled.
- Constant returns are illustrative; actual returns fluctuate. This is not a forecast.
- Taxes, fees and inflation are excluded unless already reflected in your return assumption.
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