Small SIP, Big Impact: Rs 5,100 monthly SIP for 25 years, Rs 15,000 for 15 years or Rs 21,000 for 10 years, which do you think works best?

A Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) is a popular way to invest in mutual funds, as it allows investors to channelise their surplus funds steadily in their mutual fund scheme of choice. This enables an investor to not only stay committed to their long-term investment strategy but also to maximise the benefit of compounding. For the unversed, compounding grows investments exponentially over time, helping in creating substantial wealth over the years. At times, compounding yields surprising results, especially over longer periods. In this article, let's consider three scenarios to understand how time matters in compounding: a Rs 5,100 monthly SIP for 25 years, Rs 15,000 for 15 years and Rs 21,000 for 10 years.

Can you guess the difference in the outcome in all three scenarios at an expected annualised return of 12 per cent?

SIP Return Estimates | Which one will you choose: Rs 5,100 monthly investment for 25 years, Rs 15,000 for 15 years or 21,000 for 10 years?  

Scenario 1: Rs 5,100 monthly SIP for 25 years

Calculations show that at an annualised 12 per cent return, a monthly SIP of Rs 5,100 for 25 years (300 months) will lead to a corpus of approximately Rs 96.78 lakh (a principal of Rs 15.3 lakh and an expected return of Rs 81.48 lakh). 

Scenario 2: Rs 15,000 monthly SIP for 15 years

Similarly, at the same expected return, a monthly SIP of Rs 15,000 for 15 years (180 months) will accumulate wealth to the tune of Rs 75.69 lakh, as per calculations (a principal of Rs 27 lakh and an expected return of Rs 48.69 lakh).

Scenario 3: Rs 21,000 monthly SIP for 10 years

Similarly, at the same expected return, a monthly SIP of Rs 21,000 for 10 years (120 months) will accumulate wealth to the tune of Rs 48.79 lakh, as per calculations (a Rs 25.2 lakh principal and an expected return of Rs 23.59 lakh).

Now, let's look at these estimates in detail (figures in rupees): 

Power of Compounding | Scenario 1

Power of Compounding | Scenario 2

Power of Compounding | Scenario 3

SIP & Compounding | What is compounding and how does it work? 

For the sake of simplicity, one can understand compounding in SIPs as 'return on return', wherein initial returns get added up to the principal to boost future returns, and so on.

Compounding helps in generating returns on both the original principal and the accumulated interest gradually over time, contributing to exponential growth over longer periods. 

This approach eliminates the need for a lump sum investment, making it convenient for many individuals—especially the salaried—to invest in their preferred mutual funds. Read more on the power of compounding