Small SIP, Big Impact: Rs 999 monthly investment for 30 years or Rs 9,999 for 10 years, which do you think works better?

A Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) is a popular way to invest in mutual funds, as it allows investors to park their surplus cash 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 two scenarios to understand how time matters in compounding: a Rs 999 monthly SIP for 30 years or a Rs 9,999 SIP for 10 years.

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

SIP Return Estimates | Which one will you choose: Rs 999 monthly investment for 30 years or Rs 9,999 for 10 years?  

Scenario 1: Rs 999 monthly SIP for 30 years

Calculations show that at an annualised 12 per cent return, a monthly SIP of Rs 999 for 30 years (360 months) will lead to a corpus of approximately Rs 35.26 lakh (a principal of Rs 3,59,640 and an estimated return of about Rs 31.67 lakh). 

Scenario 2: Rs 9,999 monthly SIP for 10 years

Similarly, at the same expected return, a monthly SIP of Rs 9,999 for 10 years (120 months) will accumulate wealth to the tune of Rs 23.23 lakh, as per calculations (a principal of Rs 11,99,880
and an expected return of Rs 11.23 lakh).

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

Power of Compounding | Scenario 1

Power of Compounding | Scenario 2

ALSO READ: Small SIP, Big Impact: Rs 1,111 monthly SIP for 40 years, Rs 11,111 for 20 years or Rs 22,222 for 10 years, which do you think works best?

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