How Long Does It Take to Double Your Money?

Most Canadians underestimate how predictable doubling your portfolio can be.

Doubling isn’t luck; it’s math + consistency.

With the right tools, you can forecast your exact 2X timeline.

This guide shows you:

Keep on reading and access the Googlesheet Template to get you started.

The Rule of 72 is the quickest way to estimate how long it takes for money to double — without a calculator.

72 ÷ annual return (%) = years to double

⚠️ Use the annualized long-term return — not last year’s performance. Many investors use the wrong number when they do the math.

For index ETFs, that means you should only use:

These numbers represent true compounding over time, which is exactly what the Rule of 72 assumes.

Do not use:

Short-term returns are volatile and misleading — they will give you doubling timelines that are off by years.

Here is a quick reference table:

Example Using Long-Term Index ETF Returns:

Most investors dramatically overestimate how long it takes to double their money because they look at recent returns instead of the 10-year or since-inception CAGR. Using the wrong number can throw off your timeline by several years.

Once your portfolio gets meaningful (typically $50K–$100K+), switch from using ETF return assumptions to using the actual annualized rate of return your brokerage provides.

Most Canadian brokers show this under:

Performance → Annualized → Since inception (or 10-year)

This number becomes the most accurate input for the Rule of 72 because:

At that point:

👉 Your own long-term CAGR is the best estimate for how fast your money doubles.

Most investors assume their doubling timeline is determined entirely by returns — but contributions still play a meaningful role even once your portfolio is established.

You’re not starting from $0. But contributions still bend the curve and influence how quickly you hit 2×. Your contributions will play a significant role in reaching your first $100K.

If you rely solely on returns, you double on the Rule of 72 schedule.

But adding contributions accelerates your crossing of the 2× threshold because:

Even modest contributions can shift a doubling timeline forward by months or years, depending on portfolio size.

You can expect your hard earned savings to have an impact on your portfolio as seen below when it comes to doubling your portfolio.

Until you reach the wealth phase, contributions bring predictability that returns alone cannot. They reduce the uncertainty of return sequences, fill gaps during weak markets, keep your doubling timeline on track even when markets stall.

Contributions give you control, which returns will never give you.

When you reach the wealth phase, it should be a turning point where you start thinking about spending. You do not need to keep on saving agressivelly. You don’t have to stop, but your portfolio is doing the heavy lifting.

A little more knowledge can add to your life journey.

Disclaimer: This product contains affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Even with a solid plan, these common behaviours can quietly add years to your doubling timeline.

Cash feels safe, but it doesn’t grow. A pure cash allocation drags down your real portfolio CAGR, meaning a portion of your money is sitting still while the rest works to double. Even you have it in a money market fund, it’s still just cash.

If $10K of a $50K portfolio sits in cash, that’s 20% producing a 0% return — a direct delay to your 2× timeline.

Waiting for dips or avoiding volatility leads to investing less overall and missing unexpected rallies. Time in the market beats timing the market — especially for doubling.

Dividends are a major part of total return. Failing to reinvest them slows your compounding engine. Index ETFs reinvest implicitly through total-return performance, ensuring dividends always compound. Index investing is one of the simplest investing strategy to win long term.

Your contribution habit is one of the few levers you control. Skipping months, or waiting for the “perfect time”, removes both the deposit and the future compounding it would have produced. Consistency is what bends your doubling curve forward.

Performance chasing resets compounding. Every switch risks selling low, buying high, and interrupting long-term growth. Your doubling timeline depends on staying invested in a consistent strategy — not hopping between “better” ETFs, or dividend growth stock.

Most return are seen a year or two after you start investing. You need to be patient.

Selling during downturns locks in losses and removes your capital from the recovery — the phase where compounding accelerates. Staying invested is key to hitting 2× as efficiently as possible. Normally, when there is volatility, you want to add money.

“Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful.”
— Warren Buffett

Buffett’s point is simple: volatility is your opportunity, not your signal to abandon your plan.

Fees compound against you. A 2% MER fund earning 7% effectively gives you a 5% return — stretching a 10.3-year doubling timeline into 14.4 years. That’s four lost years, purely from fees.

Avoid mutual funds at all costs and compound faster.

Most investors drift toward their goals without ever knowing when they’ll reach them.
When you model your 2× timeline, something changes:

Doubling your portfolio isn’t luck; it’s the result of understanding your numbers and taking steady action.

With a clear 2× target, you stop reacting to markets and start steering your own path.

✅ Model your numbers.
✅ Check your assumptions.
✅ Adjust your contributions.
✅ Avoid the mistakes.
✅ Let compounding do the rest.

This is how Canadians move from hoping to grow wealth… to knowing they will.

Here is a link to the GoogleSheet Template I put together to help you model the next 30 years.

The idea it to simulate different investment options but you can also track different accounts if you wanted. You can easily duplicate one of the tab and make the spreadsheet sing to your liking.

Here is the graph you’ll be able to use. It’s a slow start. We know the first $100K or even the first $500K takes the longest and require hard work.

Use the examples to model various possibilities such as an early inheritance, or a bonus, or even your RRSP refund.