How much is your money losing on autopilot?

Money left to drift does not sit still. Fees, an unsuitable fund, the wrong tax setting and idle cash each take a small amount every year, and over a working lifetime the compounding difference between drifting and being deliberate is usually far larger than people expect. This calculator puts a rough number on that difference, using your own figures.

How to use it

• Age now and target age set how long the money has to work. The length of time matters more than almost anything else here.
• Savings is what you have invested or saved today, as a starting balance.
• Income per month is used to estimate what you could realistically keep adding.
• The two sliders are annual return rates. The first is where your money is now. The second is the one you move, to see what a different rate would do to the same starting position.

What the two rates actually mean

The first slider is the conservative baseline, the rate modelled for most clients. The second is the one you move, to see what the same starting position does at a different rate. Neither is a forecast, and the second one is yours to set.

They are not plucked from the air. VIS.finance™ publishes the actual performance of its own investment portfolio, managed since December 2021, measured in USD and benchmarked against the S&P 500 over the same period, with figures dated to 9 October 2025. Past performance does not guarantee future results, and that page sets out exactly what the portfolio is and how it is measured.

What to do if the gap looks large

A large gap on this calculator is not a reason to chase a higher return. It usually means the controllable parts are worth checking first: the fees you are paying, your KiwiSaver fund and PIR, how idle cash is held, and whether your mortgage and investing are working against each other.

If you would like those checked properly against your real numbers, the first consultation is free, online, and carries no obligation. VIS.finance™ is a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FAP, FSP1010421) and receives no commissions or product incentives.