Future Value Calculator
What a lump sum plus regular contributions grows to at a given rate — split into the part that came from you and the part that came from compounding.
Future Value Calculator: with the default inputs, future value is $176,471.69.
What you start with. Use 0 if you're building from nothing.
Added every period. Use 0 for a lump sum only.
Nominal annual rate, compounded at the contribution frequency.
- From the amount you started with
- $20,193.69
- From the contributions
- $156,278.00
- Total you put in
- $77,000
- Growth
- $99,472Future value minus everything you contributed.
- Multiple on what you put in
- 2.29Future value ÷ total contributions.
- Effective annual rate
- 7.229%
- Number of periods
- 240
Assumptions
- One constant rate of return, compounded at the contribution frequency.
- Contributions are level and never missed.
- No taxes, fees or inflation adjustment.
| Year | Total contributed | Growth | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $8,600 | $479 | $9,079 |
| 2 | $12,200 | $1,253 | $13,453 |
| 3 | $15,800 | $2,344 | $18,144 |
| 4 | $19,400 | $3,773 | $23,173 |
| 5 | $23,000 | $5,566 | $28,566 |
| 6 | $26,600 | $7,749 | $34,349 |
| 7 | $30,200 | $10,350 | $40,550 |
| 8 | $33,800 | $13,399 | $47,199 |
| 9 | $37,400 | $16,929 | $54,329 |
| 10 | $41,000 | $20,974 | $61,974 |
How this is worked out
The formula
FV = PV × (1 + i)^n + PMT × [ (1 + i)^n − 1 ] ÷ i (× (1 + i) for start-of-period contributions) PV = amount today PMT = contribution each period i = annual rate ÷ periods per year n = periods per year × years At i = 0 the second term collapses to PMT × n.
Open How it’s calculated above to see this worked through with your own numbers.
What you enter
- Amount today
- What you start with. Use 0 if you're building from nothing.in dollars · 0 or more · defaults to 5000
- Contribution each period
- Added every period. Use 0 for a lump sum only.in dollars · 0 or more · defaults to 300
- Rate of return
- Nominal annual rate, compounded at the contribution frequency.a percentage · from 0 to 100 · defaults to 7
- Time
- A number.from 0 to 100 · whole numbers only · defaults to 20
- Periods per year
- Choose one of 4 options.Monthly (12) · Quarterly (4) · Semi-annually (2) · Annually (1)
- Contributions arrive(under More options)
- Start-of-period contributions earn one extra period of growth.End of period (ordinary annuity) · Beginning of period (annuity due)
What you get back
- Future valuemain answer
- From the amount you started with
- From the contributions
- Total you put in
- Growth
- Future value minus everything you contributed.
- Multiple on what you put in
- Future value ÷ total contributions.
- Effective annual rate
- Number of periods
What this assumes
- One constant rate of return, compounded at the contribution frequency.
- Contributions are level and never missed.
- No taxes, fees or inflation adjustment.
About this calculator
Future value answers the forward-looking half of the time value of money: put this much in, add this much regularly, earn this rate — what is it worth at the end? It is the same equation as present value read backwards, and it is the arithmetic behind every retirement projection you have ever seen.
How to use it
Enter what you have today, what you'll add each period, the rate you expect and how long you'll leave it. Match the periods per year to how you actually contribute — monthly for a payroll deduction, annually for an IRA lump. Contributions default to the end of the period; switch to the beginning under More options if the money goes in first, which earns one extra period of growth (worth roughly (1 + i) times the annuity part — about half a percent a year on monthly deposits at 6%).
Reading the results
The split matters more than the total. From the amount you started with and from the contributions show which lever is doing the work: over short horizons the starting balance dominates, over long ones the contributions do — until compounding overtakes both. Growth is the whole future value minus every dollar you put in, and multiple puts it in one number. A 20-year plan at 7% typically lands near 2×; a 40-year plan near 4–5×.
What rate to use
For a savings account or CD, the quoted APY. For a diversified stock portfolio, the long-run US average is about 10% nominal and 7% after inflation, but no decade delivers the average — the 2000s delivered nearly nothing. If the plan only works at 10%, it isn't a plan. Run it again at 5% and see whether you can still live with the answer.
Where it misleads
- A constant rate is a fiction. Real returns vary, and volatility drags the compounded result below the arithmetic average of the same returns. Treat the output as a midpoint, not a promise.
- Inflation is not included. $500,000 in 30 years buys what about $206,000 buys today at 3% inflation. Use the inflation calculator, or enter a real (inflation-adjusted) rate and read the answer in today's dollars.
- Taxes and fees are not included. A 1% expense ratio over 30 years takes roughly a quarter of the ending balance. The interest calculator handles tax on interest explicitly.
Frequently asked questions
▸What is the future value formula?
FV = PV(1 + i)^n + PMT·[((1 + i)^n − 1) ÷ i], where i is the rate per period and n the number of periods. The first term grows the lump sum; the second is the future value of the contribution stream.
▸Does it matter whether I contribute at the start or the end of the month?
A little. Start-of-period contributions earn one extra period of return, which multiplies the annuity part by (1 + i) — about 0.5% a year on monthly deposits at 6%, and more at higher rates.
▸What return should I assume?
Use the quoted APY for deposits. For stocks, the long-run US average is roughly 10% nominal before inflation and fees; many planners use 6–7% to be conservative. Whatever you pick, test the plan at a lower rate.
▸Is this the same as compound interest?
Yes — future value is compound interest with a contribution stream attached. The compound interest calculator focuses on frequency effects and APY; this one focuses on the contribution split.
▸How do I see the answer in today's dollars?
Divide by (1 + inflation)^years, or enter a real rate of return (your nominal rate minus inflation) and read the answer as today's purchasing power.
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Related calculators
The questions people ask next to a future value.
What a future lump sum and a stream of payments are worth today at a given discount rate — with the discount factor, the annuity value and a period-by-period table.
See how a lump sum plus regular deposits grows with daily, monthly, quarterly or annual compounding — with a year-by-year table, chart and inflation adjustment.
Interest on a deposit plus regular contributions, with any compounding frequency — and what's left after tax on the interest and after inflation, year by year.
Project investment growth with monthly contributions, annual raises, fund expense ratios and inflation — with a yearly split of what you invested vs. earned.
The time-value-of-money solver: give any four of present value, future value, payment, term and rate, and it solves for the fifth — with sign conventions explained.