Cost of Delay Calculator
See what waiting to start investing costs you — compare the corpus if you begin now against starting a few years later with the same monthly SIP.
How it works
Both corpuses use SIP FV = P × [((1 + i)^n − 1) ÷ i] × (1 + i). Starting now uses n over the full horizon; waiting uses n over (horizon − delay). The cost of delay is the difference.
The same monthly SIP builds a very different corpus depending on when you start, because the earliest instalments are the ones that compound the longest. Delaying even a few years removes those high-value early years from the end of the growth curve, where compounding is steepest — so the money you lose is far larger than the instalments you skipped. This tool puts a rupee figure on that procrastination.
Worked example
A ₹5,000 monthly SIP at 12% for 30 years builds about ₹1.76 crore. Waiting just 5 years to start — investing for 25 years instead — reaches only about ₹95 lakh. That 5-year delay costs roughly ₹82 lakh, even though you skipped only ₹3 lakh of instalments.
Frequently asked questions
Why does a short delay cost so much?
The instalments you skip are the earliest ones, and those have the longest time to compound. Removing them lops off the steepest part of the growth curve, so the lost corpus dwarfs the contributions you avoided.
I have already delayed — is it too late?
No. The best time to start was earlier, but the second-best is now. Starting today still captures all the compounding left in your horizon; every further year of waiting only widens the gap.
Can a higher SIP make up for a late start?
Partly. A larger instalment or a step-up SIP can close some of the gap, but it rarely fully replaces lost years because those early contributions had uniquely long to grow.
Related calculators
Educational estimate only, not investment advice. Mutual-fund and market-linked returns are not guaranteed and past performance does not predict the future. Verify current fund details and consult a SEBI-registered adviser.