Investment Comparison Calculator

Beta Version Methodology - Results are shown as calculated gains, not total final balances; estimated final value/economic value is the original principal plus the after-tax gain, and for Offset Account the gain represents mortgage interest saved. Results can be viewed as after-tax (nominal) gains or risk-adjusted gains. Risk model is OFF by default. When switched ON, the risk-adjusted view applies the fixed risk scores to positive after-tax gains. Offset Account: saving compounds annually, tax-free. ETF (Stocks): capital gain with CGT only on positive gains, plus dividends reinvested after tax. Physical Gold: growth rate applied to spot price holding, CGT only on positive gains. Term Deposit: default 5.00%; interest taxed annually at marginal rate and compounded. Super Contribution: simplified one-off super contribution model. The concessional cap is fixed at $32,500 (2026–27). The within-cap portion is taxed at 15% on entry; the above-cap excess is simplified as being taxed at the higher of 15% or the user’s marginal tax rate; the combined after-tax amount is compounded at the selected GROSS super investment return less a simplified 15% tax on in-fund investment earnings each year (accumulation phase), mirroring how the term deposit taxes interest each year so the options are compared on a consistent basis. A visible warning appears when the Super Contribution exceeds available concessional cap room. This is a simplified comparison of a one-off contribution over the chosen period, not a retirement projection — for a retirement estimate, use a dedicated super calculator such as the one at moneysmart.gov.au. This model does not reproduce all ATO excess concessional contribution rules, carry-forward cap rules, preservation age rules, Div 293 tax, pension phase, SMSFs, or release elections. Employer super contributions count toward the concessional cap. CGT modes: No discount (full marginal rate — represents an under-12-month sale or a conservative no-discount assumption; the app does not check eligibility); 50% discount (current law for assets held 12+ months); New law 2027 (simplified indexation model: the cost base is indexed by the chosen CPI, then the remaining real gain is taxed at the higher of 30% or marginal rate — this is a simplified model and does not apply transitional rules splitting pre- and post-1 July 2027 gains). The risk model is a simplified, illustrative risk haircut applied to positive gains only (losses are shown in full); it is not a formal volatility model or a measure of actual risk, and the risk scores are illustrative assumptions. Risk-adjusted ranking: Offset Account 0/10, Term Deposit 1/10, Super Contribution 3/10, ETF (Stocks) 4/10, Physical Gold 5/10. Formula: positive after-tax dollar return × (10 − risk score) / 10. CPI slider is used for New law 2027 indexation only. Gold price is a user-entered, once-daily gold spot price (AUD/oz) with a date stamp. Simplified tax model: the ETF (Stocks) dividend component is compounded on the initial principal at the after-tax yield, not on a growing reinvested cost base; CGT is computed as if the asset were sold at the end of each year shown. These are deliberate simplifications for comparison purposes and do not capture every detail of individual tax circumstances. Calculations assume an individual Australian tax resident holding assets in their personal name; the model does not simulate corporate tax rates, Self-Managed Super Funds (SMSFs), or non-resident withholding tax frameworks. Educational comparison tool using simplified tax assumptions — not financial or tax advice.