What-If · projection
What happens if I invest a $100,000 windfall?
A $100,000 windfall — an inheritance, a sale, a bonus — invested once and left untouched. This projects what that single sum could compound to over 30 years, showing the inflation-adjusted result next to the nominal one. It does not weigh investing against other uses of the money.
At a 5% nominal return and 2.5% inflation, $100k invested for 30 years grows to about $213k in today's dollars — $447k nominal. These are illustrative assumptions, not a prediction or recommendation.
Year by year (default assumptions)
| Year | Today's dollars | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $102,552 | $105,116 |
| 5 | $113,430 | $128,336 |
| 9 | $125,462 | $156,685 |
| 13 | $138,770 | $191,296 |
| 17 | $153,489 | $233,552 |
| 21 | $169,770 | $285,142 |
| 25 | $187,778 | $348,129 |
| 29 | $207,695 | $425,029 |
| 30 | $212,996 | $446,774 |
Assumptions & method
5% nominal annual return, 2.5% inflation (≈2.4% real). Conservative, illustrative, and editable — not a forecast.
Full defaults, sources, and the engine logic are on the methodology page.
Reviewed by Sam, Richify's What-If Strategist · Last reviewed 2026-07-01
Frequently asked questions
- Is investing a windfall worth it versus other uses?
- That depends on your full situation — debts, goals, an emergency buffer — which this page can't see. It only projects the investing case so you can compare it against your other options yourself.
- Why does the today's-dollars number matter so much here?
- With a large sum over decades, the nominal figure can look dramatic largely because of inflation. The today's-dollars value is what it would actually buy, so it's the figure to anchor on.
- What if I invested it for fewer years?
- A shorter horizon lowers the result steeply, because a lump sum's growth is dominated by time compounding. Adjust the years input to see your own case.
- Is this financial advice?
- No. It's an illustrative projection of stated assumptions, not a recommendation about what to do with an inheritance or windfall.
Try your own numbers with Sam
Sam explains the math of any scenario you set — no advice, just the projection.
Educational projection only — not financial advice, a forecast, or a recommendation. Results are the arithmetic of the assumptions you set; real returns vary. Figures shown in both today's dollars and nominal terms.
