Calculator

Cost of Delaying a SIP

Delaying a SIP costs more than the instalments you skip, because the years you give up are the ones with the most compounding left in them. This shows the shortfall against starting today, holding the instalment, the rate and the end date constant.

₹10,000
20 years
12%

A long-run assumption, not a promise. Markets do not deliver a constant rate.

12

In months.

The delay costs you

The delay costs you:₹12,38,225

Instalments not paid
₹1,20,000
Lost compounding on top
₹11,18,225

What this assumes

Every calculator here states what it took for granted. A result whose assumptions are hidden is not worth much.

  • The end date stays fixed, so a delay shortens the investing period rather than extending it.
  • The instalment and the rate are unchanged before and after the delay.

How to use it

  1. Enter the SIP you are considering and the year you need the money.
  2. Set how long you are thinking of waiting.
  3. Compare the cost against the instalments you would have skipped.

Illustrative only. Not a projection, not a guarantee, and not investment advice.

Common questions

Why is the cost bigger than the instalments I skipped?

Because the first instalments are the ones with the longest time to compound. Skipping a year at the start removes the money that would have grown for the entire remaining period, not just for a year.

Is it better to wait for a market dip?

Timing an entry reliably is difficult even for professionals, and while you wait you are out of the market. A SIP exists precisely so you do not have to make that call, because it spreads your purchase price across whatever the market does.

A number is not a plan.

If this result raised a question, that is the useful part. Bring it in and we will work through what it means for your situation.