Create a Simple Investment Growth Calculator (Compound Interest)

3. Calculators & Personal Finance Tools ⏱ 20 minutes min 📊 Beginner

Objective

Understand and calculate how a lump sum or regular contribution grows over time with compound interest.

1

Prompt: 'Show me the compound interest formula and calculate the future value of $[amount] invested for [years] years at [rate]% annual return.'
2

Ask the AI to add a monthly contribution to the same calculation.
3

Ask it to create a simple year-by-year growth table.
4

Change one variable (rate, years, or contribution) and observe how much the outcome shifts.
5

Discuss as a class: which variable had the biggest impact, and why does starting early matter so much?

Instructor TipThis pairs naturally as a follow-up to the Retirement Savings Estimator tutorial if teaching them in the same session.

TakeawaySeeing compound growth in real numbers makes the abstract advice 'start investing early' concrete and personal.