Cash, index, growth: the three futures, explained

The calculator compares three plain paths for the same savings. They are not recommendations - they are reference points, so you can see the trade-off between safety and growth instead of guessing at it.

Money left as money. No market risk, fully available, and easy to understand. The catch is that it does not grow on its own, and over long periods inflation quietly erodes what it can buy. In the chart, cash is the slow, steady line - it only goes up by what you add.

A broad, diversified market average - the middle path most long-term savers hear about. Historically it has grown faster than cash over long stretches, with real ups and downs along the way. We model it with a moderate long-run average, not a guarantee.

A more aggressive assumption - higher potential, higher volatility, and a bigger chance of stretches where it falls. In the chart it is the steepest line, but in real life the steepest line is also the bumpiest ride. The number is an illustration of an optimistic path, not a promise.

The useful thing is not any single line - it is the distance between them. That gap is the cost of playing it completely safe versus the risk of reaching for more. Seeing it as a picture makes the trade-off concrete, which is the entire reason the tool exists.