Why is there no default return?

A default can look like Portle is forecasting a return. The rate is left blank so the assumption remains yours.

Are contributions made at the start or end of each month?

At the start. Each contribution, including the final one, receives one month of the entered return assumption.

Does this include taxes and fees?

No. It compares contributions and compound growth before taxes, fees, and currency effects.

Recurring investment calculator

The return is an input, not a forecast

This calculator does not choose an expected return. You enter a rate, and the result repeats that assumption so an estimate cannot be mistaken for a promise.

Contributions are treated as arriving at the start of each month. That means the final contribution receives one month of the assumed return.

What the estimate leaves out

Markets do not deliver the same return every month. A smooth annual assumption cannot show drawdowns, contribution timing within a month, taxes, fees, or currency changes.

Use the result to compare contribution plans under the same assumption, not to predict a final account balance.