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Dividend reinvestment

Compare reinvesting dividends with taking them as cash over the years.

Dividend reinvestment

Reinvesting dividends buys more shares, which pay their own dividends — compounding through the payout. Compare that with pocketing the dividends as cash. Every input here is a hypothetical you choose.

$
%
%
%

Reinvested, 25 yrs

$51,963

Dividends taken as cash

$35,256

Reinvesting adds

$16,707

NowYear 25
ReinvestedCash taken

“Cash taken” counts the dividends you pocketed plus the shares you kept. This ignores taxes, which can differ between reinvesting and taking cash. A dividend is never promised — a company can cut it.

This is a hypothetical illustration, not advice or a prediction. The numbers are made up to show how the math works — real returns vary and can be negative. See the full disclaimer.