Why we built this
Most dividend calculators do one thing: multiply your portfolio value by a yield percentage and show you a number. That misses the entire point of dividend investing — the compounding snowball effect that happens when you reinvest dividends year after year, when companies raise their payouts annually, and when your portfolio grows in value over time.
Snowball Dividends was built to show all of those forces working together, visually, in a single chart. The stacked area chart — contributions at the base, capital appreciation in the middle, reinvested dividends on top in gold — lets you see the snowball effect in action rather than just reading a final number.
The data side: 170+ funds, every payment verified
The site has grown well past the calculator. We chart the actual payment record of 170+ income funds — every distribution from the first one, computed from market data and updated daily. No paywall, no signup. Coverage is curated, not exhaustive: a fund is added once its payment history can be verified end-to-end, prioritized by what income investors actually hold and search for — option-income ETFs, BDCs, mREITs, CEFs, and the dividend stalwarts people pair with them. Missing one you own? Email us and it typically gets added within days.
We also run a launch radar for new income ETFs. It logged YieldMax's YRAM four days before its August 28 listing and Guggenheim's GEEQ the week it launched — usually before any coverage exists. How it works stays in-house; the results are on the launch log.
Every number published here is recomputed from the raw payment record before it goes live — not copied from fact sheets. When the data and a fund's marketing disagree, the data wins.
Who runs this
Snowball Dividends is written and maintained by its founder under the pen name Alan Jacobs — an independent data publisher, not a financial advisor. The pen name is disclosed here because we'd rather say so plainly than pretend otherwise; the data speaks for itself either way. Reach Alan directly at Alan.Jacobs@snowballdividends.com.
What makes the calculator different
- Four compounding inputs: DRIP reinvestment, dividend growth rate, share-price appreciation, and ongoing contributions — not just yield × balance.
- After-tax modeling: Enter your dividend tax rate and see real net income, not just gross figures.
- Income-goal reverse calculator: The most common question investors have is "how much do I need?" — not "what will I have?" We answer both.
- Yield on cost: See how your original investment's effective yield grows as the dividend compounds over time.
- Fast and private: Everything runs in your browser. No data is sent to any server. No account required.
Who it's for
Snowball Dividends is built for individual investors who use a dividend growth strategy — buying quality dividend-paying stocks and reinvesting the income to build a growing passive income stream over time. It's equally useful for someone just starting out who wants to understand the math, and for experienced investors stress-testing assumptions.
A note on accuracy
This calculator uses simplified annual compounding and constant-rate assumptions. Real markets don't behave that way — yields fluctuate, companies cut dividends, prices fall. The tool is designed to illustrate the principle of compounding, not to predict your actual returns. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Our editorial standards
Our guides are plain-English education for everyday investors — not personalized financial advice. We hold every piece of content to a few simple rules:
- Sourced from primary references. Tax and account-rule information is grounded in official sources such as the IRS and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Investor.gov, which we link to directly in each article.
- Transparent assumptions. Every projection states the yield, growth, and tax assumptions behind it, so you can see exactly how a number was produced.
- No fabricated credentials. We don't claim to be licensed advisors, and we say so plainly. For decisions about your own money, we consistently point readers to a qualified professional.
- Kept current. Articles show a "last updated" date and are revised as rules and figures change.
Have a correction or a question? We genuinely want to hear it — reach us any time at admin@snowballdividends.com.