How does the dividend calculator work?

Enter a stock or ETF symbol to load dividend data, set your investment amount and time horizon, then toggle DRIP to model compound growth. The calculator shows year-by-year projections of portfolio value and dividend income, helping you visualize how dividends can grow your wealth over time.

What is DRIP (Dividend Reinvestment Plan)?

DRIP (Dividend Reinvestment Plan) is a program that automatically reinvests your cash dividends to purchase additional shares of the same stock or ETF. Instead of receiving dividend payments as cash, the money is used to buy more shares, creating compound growth over time. This can significantly accelerate wealth building, especially over long investment horizons.

What is dividend yield and how is it calculated?

Dividend yield is the annual dividend payment divided by the current stock price, expressed as a percentage. For example, if a stock pays $2 per year in dividends and trades at $50, the dividend yield is 4% ($2 ÷ $50 = 0.04 or 4%). Higher yields mean more income per dollar invested, but very high yields may indicate risk.

How does compound growth work with dividends?

Compound growth with dividends occurs when reinvested dividends purchase additional shares, which then generate their own dividends. Over time, you earn dividends on your original investment plus dividends on all the shares purchased through reinvestment. This snowball effect can dramatically increase total returns over long periods.

What is the difference between DRIP and cash dividends?

With cash dividends, you receive dividend payments as cash deposited into your brokerage account. With DRIP, dividends are automatically reinvested to buy more shares. Cash dividends provide immediate income but no compound growth, while DRIP sacrifices current income for accelerated portfolio growth through compounding.

Can I calculate dividends for multiple stocks or ETFs?

Yes, use Portfolio Mode to add multiple stocks and ETFs with individual allocations and dividend parameters. This allows you to model a diversified dividend portfolio and see combined projections for total income and growth across all your holdings.

How do I calculate annual dividend income?

Annual dividend income is calculated by multiplying the number of shares you own by the annual dividend per share. Alternatively, multiply your investment amount by the dividend yield. For example, $10,000 invested at a 4% yield generates $400 in annual dividend income ($10,000 × 0.04 = $400).

What is yield on cost and why does it matter for dividend investors?

Yield on cost (YOC) is your current annual dividend divided by your original purchase price, expressed as a percentage. Unlike current yield which changes with stock price, YOC shows your actual return on your original investment. As companies increase dividends over time, your YOC grows, rewarding long-term dividend investors with higher effective yields.

What is the best dividend strategy: DRIP or cash dividends?

The best dividend strategy depends on your goals. DRIP (dividend reinvestment) is ideal for long-term wealth building and compound growth, especially if you don't need current income. Cash dividends are better if you need passive income now, such as during retirement. Many investors use a hybrid approach: DRIP during accumulation years, then switch to cash dividends when they need income.

How do I project dividend income for retirement planning?

To project dividend income for retirement, enter your current portfolio value and expected annual contributions into the dividend calculator. Set a realistic dividend yield (3-5% for diversified portfolios) and growth rate (5-7% historically). Choose your retirement timeframe and disable DRIP to see annual cash income projections. This helps you determine if your dividend portfolio can generate sufficient passive income to cover retirement expenses.

Dividend Calculator: Income Projections & DRIP Growth

Calculate your dividend income, project compound growth, and model DRIP returns for stocks and ETFs. Compare reinvestment strategies, visualize wealth-building scenarios, and start planning your passive income today.

Calculate dividend income projections and model compound growth for individual dividend stocks or ETFs. Dividend yield, growth rate, and price appreciation parameters are automatically prefilled from historical data and can be customized. Compare DRIP reinvestment vs cash dividends to optimize your passive income strategy.

Security Selection

Select Security

Type to search or enter ticker directly. Selecting a new security will replace the current one.

Projection Settings

Years to Project

Contribution Amount

$0/year

Dividend Tax Rate

Tax applied to dividend income

Reinvest Dividends (DRIP)

Starting Dividend Yield

Annual Dividend Growth Rate

Price Appreciation

Ready to calculate your dividend projections

Follow these steps to see your potential dividend income and portfolio growth

Add stocks
Search and select stocks above. Dividend yields and growth rates will be automatically prefilled from historical data.
Customize parameters
Set your investment amount, time horizon, contributions, tax rate, and toggle DRIP on or off.
Calculate & analyze
Click Calculate to see year-by-year projections, total returns, and dividend income growth.

Pro tip: Compare different scenarios by toggling DRIP or adjusting growth rates to see how small changes impact long-term wealth.

Data-Driven Investment Insights

Access dividend metrics and analytics to evaluate if your portfolio aligns with your financial goals.

Automatic Stock Data Integration

Enter stock symbols to prefill dividend yields and growth rates from market data. All parameters remain customizable.

DRIP & Compound Growth

Toggle dividend reinvestment to model different strategies. Perfect for buy-and-hold investors maximizing compound returns.

How to Use the Dividend Calculator

This dividend calculator helps investors model future income and plan wealth-building strategies. Whether you're calculating dividend income for retirement planning or analyzing compound growth scenarios, here's how to project your dividend returns:

Calculate dividend income projections with or without taxes, and with DRIP enabled or disabled. Add dividend stocks or ETFs to automatically load yield data, or customize rates based on your investment assumptions.

Setup

Add stocks or ETFs using the search
Edit yield, growth rate, price growth
Set amounts and contributions
Apply tax rate and time horizon
Toggle DRIP on or off

Results

Year-by-year dividend projections
Portfolio value growth over time
Total returns and yield on cost
Compare different scenarios

Tip: To compare against a benchmark, run a separate calculation using index ETFs like SPY (S&P 500) or VOO.

What is a Dividend Calculator?

A dividend calculator is a financial planning tool that projects future dividend income from stocks or ETFs based on current yield, growth assumptions, and investment parameters. It helps investors estimate passive income, compare reinvestment strategies, and plan for long-term wealth building through dividend-paying securities.

Dividend calculators are essential for income-focused investors who want to understand how their portfolio will generate cash flow over time. By modeling different scenarios—such as DRIP (Dividend Reinvestment Plan) versus cash dividends—investors can make informed decisions about their investment strategy.

Whether you're calculating annual dividend income for a single blue-chip dividend stock, analyzing a basket of dividend-paying ETFs, or building a diversified dividend portfolio, understanding how to project your passive income is essential for retirement planning and long-term wealth building. Our dividend calculator simplifies the complex math of compound interest and dividend growth modeling.

Looking for dividend-paying stocks and ETFs to add to your portfolio? Use our dividend screener to find securities that match your yield and growth criteria.

DRIP vs Cash Dividends: Which Dividend Strategy is Better?

When comparing dividend reinvestment strategies, DRIP (Dividend Reinvestment Plan) offers automatic compounding but sacrifices current cash flow. This dividend strategy comparison helps you decide which approach best fits your income needs and long-term wealth-building goals.

Choosing between dividend reinvestment (DRIP) and cash dividends depends on your investment goals, time horizon, and income needs. Here's a comparison:

Factor	DRIP (Reinvestment)	Cash Dividends
Current Income	No immediate cash flow	Regular cash payments
Compound Growth	Accelerated through reinvestment	Limited to price appreciation
Best For	Long-term wealth building	Current income needs
Share Count	Increases over time	Stays constant
Tax Impact	Taxed but not received as cash	Taxed and received as cash
Flexibility	Automatic, hands-off	Choose how to use funds

Understanding Key Dividend Terms

Dividend Yield: The annual dividend payment divided by the current stock price, expressed as a percentage. A 4% yield on a $100 stock means $4 in annual dividends per share.
DRIP (Dividend Reinvestment Plan): A program that automatically uses dividend payments to purchase additional shares, enabling compound growth without manual intervention.
Dividend Growth Rate: The annualized percentage rate at which a company increases its dividend payments over time. Higher growth rates indicate improving profitability.
Yield on Cost (YOC): The current annual dividend divided by your original purchase price. YOC increases over time as dividends grow, rewarding long-term holders.
Annual Dividend Income: Total dividends received in one year, calculated by multiplying shares owned by the annual dividend per share, or investment amount by dividend yield.
Compound Growth: The process where reinvested dividends generate their own dividends, creating exponential growth over time. The longer the time horizon, the more powerful the effect.
Passive Income from Dividends: Income earned automatically from holding dividend-paying stocks and ETFs without active trading. Passive income through dividends is a core strategy for long-term wealth building and retirement planning.
Dividend Investment Strategy: A systematic approach to selecting and managing dividend-paying securities to generate consistent income. Your dividend strategy should align with your risk tolerance, time horizon, and whether you prefer DRIP reinvestment or cash distributions.

How Compound Dividend Growth Works

Compound dividend growth is the wealth-building mechanism that occurs when reinvested dividends purchase additional shares, which then generate their own dividends. Here's how it works step by step:

Initial Investment: You invest $10,000 in a stock with a 4% dividend yield, generating $400 in annual dividends.
Dividend Reinvestment: Instead of taking cash, you reinvest the $400 to buy more shares.
Increased Share Count: You now own more shares, which increases your dividend payments next year.
Compounding Effect: Each year, dividends from your growing share count are reinvested, accelerating portfolio growth.
Long-term Results: Over 20-30 years, compound growth can multiply your initial investment several times over.

The key to maximizing compound growth is time. Starting early and consistently reinvesting dividends allows the snowball effect to work in your favor, potentially turning modest investments into significant wealth.

Understanding compound dividend growth is why many investors use dividend calculators to model long-term scenarios. By projecting how dividend reinvestment and dividend growth combine over 10, 20, or 30 years, you can visualize the wealth-building impact and make informed decisions about dividend yield targets and stock selection for your portfolio.