What return should I assume?

For horizons above 10 years: 12% for equity (Nifty 50 historical CAGR 2000-2025 ≈ 12.5%). For horizons 5-10 years: 10% (mix of equity + debt for volatility protection). For horizons under 5 years: 7-8% (mostly debt/FD — equity too risky short-term). Always err on the LOW side — better to over-save.

What if I miss a few SIP installments?

Occasional missed installments reduce final corpus by a small amount. Systematic under-contribution (skipping 3-6 months per year) can reduce final corpus by 25-40% vs plan. Set up auto-debit + increase contribution when possible to compensate.

Should I use ELSS or normal MF for goals?

ELSS has 3-year lock-in + 80C benefit under old regime — great for long-term goals (retirement, kids' education) where locked capital is fine. Normal equity MF has no lock-in — better for flexible goals (home down-payment in 5-7 years) where you might need liquidity. Retirement goal = mix both; short-term goal = normal MF only.

What return should I assume?

For horizons above 10 years: 12% for equity (Nifty 50 historical CAGR 2000-2025 ≈ 12.5%). For horizons 5-10 years: 10% (mix of equity + debt for volatility protection). For horizons under 5 years: 7-8% (mostly debt/FD — equity too risky short-term). Always err on the LOW side — better to over-save.

What if I miss a few SIP installments?

Occasional missed installments reduce final corpus by a small amount. Systematic under-contribution (skipping 3-6 months per year) can reduce final corpus by 25-40% vs plan. Set up auto-debit + increase contribution when possible to compensate.

Should I use ELSS or normal MF for goals?

ELSS has 3-year lock-in + 80C benefit under old regime — great for long-term goals (retirement, kids' education) where locked capital is fine. Normal equity MF has no lock-in — better for flexible goals (home down-payment in 5-7 years) where you might need liquidity. Retirement goal = mix both; short-term goal = normal MF only.

SIP Goal Planner

Reverse-engineer the monthly SIP needed to reach a specific corpus target — for retirement, home down-payment, child education, or any wealth goal.

Result

Starting monthly SIP needed

₹5,078

Target corpus₹10,000,000
Investment horizon20 years
Final year monthly SIPAfter 19 yearly step-ups of 10%₹31,058
Total invested₹3,490,286
Wealth gainedHow much compounding earned you vs contribution₹6,509,714

Personal-finance essentials

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The Psychology of Money

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How to use this calculator

Enter your target corpus amount.
Enter years available to the goal.
Enter expected annual return (12% for equity, 7% for debt).
Enter annual step-up % (match your salary hike expectation).
Read starting monthly SIP + final-year SIP + total invested.

About this tool

SIP Goal Planner is the reverse of a normal SIP calculator — instead of asking "how much will my SIP grow to?", it asks "how much SIP do I need to reach my goal?" This is the more useful direction for real financial planning. Set your target corpus (₹1 crore retirement, ₹40L home down-payment, ₹25L for kid's education), horizon (years available), and expected return — the tool solves for the monthly SIP amount needed. Adds annual step-up (matching your salary hikes) which dramatically reduces the starting SIP required. Example: ₹1 crore in 20 years at 12% return = ₹10K/month without step-up, but only ₹5,500/month with 10% annual step-up.

Frequently asked

Step-up SIP increases the monthly amount by a fixed % every year — typically 5-15% matching salary hikes. Massively reduces starting SIP requirement because later contributions are larger. For a ₹1 crore goal in 20 years at 12%, flat SIP = ₹10K/month, but with 10% annual step-up starts at only ₹5.5K/month.

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