Question 1

How is the required monthly investment calculated?

Accepted Answer

First, today's savings are projected forward at the blended expected return for the recommended asset mix. Whatever gap remains between that projection and the target is then solved as a monthly SIP using the standard future-value-of-an-annuity formula, assuming each contribution is invested at the start of the month.

Question 2

How is the recommended asset mix decided?

Accepted Answer

The starting mix is based on your time horizon — shorter goals lean toward debt, gold, and cash for capital protection, while longer goals lean more heavily into equity for growth — then tilted further toward or away from equity based on the risk profile you choose.

Question 3

What returns does this assume for each asset class?

Accepted Answer

The defaults used are broad long-term planning assumptions: roughly 12% for equity, 8% for gold, 7% for debt, and 4% for cash and equivalents. These are illustrative, not a guarantee — actual returns vary significantly by market, time period, and the specific products used, and can be negative in any given year.

Question 4

What is a glide path, and why does the mix change over time?

Accepted Answer

A glide path is a plan for gradually shifting a portfolio from growth-oriented assets toward capital-protection assets as a goal approaches, so a market downturn in the final year or two doesn't derail a goal that took a decade to build. It's the same mechanism used inside target-date retirement funds.

Question 5

What isn't this calculator accounting for?

Accepted Answer

It ignores taxes, transaction fees, fund expense ratios, and inflation — all of which reduce real, spendable returns over time. It also assumes a constant contribution and steady returns rather than the volatility markets actually deliver year to year. Treat the output as a planning starting point, not a precise forecast.

Horizon	Stance	Equity-leaning weight
Up to 3 years	Capital protection	~20% equity
4–7 years	Balanced growth	~45% equity
8–15 years	Growth	~65% equity
15+ years	Aggressive growth	~80% equity

Wealth Goal Planner

How the plan is built

Baseline mix by time horizon

Common questions