Illustrated example
Roth IRA Growth Projection
$400,000 already deployed, $70,000/year in additional contributions starting 2028 — a different profile than the homepage's $10K/30-year example, closer to someone catching up on contributions ahead of retirement.
Methodology
Conservative, Average, and Optimistic aren't hypothetical bands — they're the actual worst year, 10-year mean, and best year from CCO's real Income-Focused backtest (2015-2024, run against the live engine, not a simulation):
- Conservative — 6.1%: 2017, the weakest year in the real backtest
- Average — 11.32%: the actual 10-year mean
- Optimistic — 17.37%: 2022, the strongest year in the real backtest
All three figures are net of $0.65/contract trading commissions.
Each scenario applies its rate every year for illustration — a real portfolio's yield varies year to year, as the table above these three numbers were pulled from shows.
| Year | Conservative 6.1% | Average 11.32% | Optimistic 17.37% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027contributions begin next year | $400,000 | $400,000 | $400,000 |
| 2028 | $494,400 | $515,280 | $539,480 |
| 2029 | $594,558 | $643,610 | $703,188 |
| 2030 | $700,826 | $786,466 | $895,331 |
| 2031 | $813,577 | $945,494 | $1,120,850 |
| 2032 | $933,205 | $1,122,524 | $1,385,542 |
Illustrative only. $400,000 starting balance, $70,000 added at the end of each year from 2028 onward. Rates are single real historical years applied as a sustained annual return, not a forecast of future performance. Backtested results do not guarantee future performance. Options trading involves risk of loss and is not appropriate for all investors. Roth IRA contribution limits are subject to IRS rules and phase-outs based on income — verify current limits before planning contributions. This is not investment, tax, or financial advice. Consult a qualified financial advisor before investing.