Future value calculator
What money invested today, plus regular deposits, will be worth in the future.
About this calculator
This future value calculator shows what money you invest today, plus any monthly deposits, could be worth in the future.
Choose whether deposits are made at the start or the end of each month, and see the growth on a chart.
How it works
Future value = amount today × (1 + rate)^years, plus the deposits, each grown from the month it is made: deposit × ((1 + i)ⁿ − 1) ÷ i, where i is the monthly rate and n the number of months.
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Worked example
- Amount today: $10,000
- Monthly deposit: $200
- Deposits made: At the end of each month
- Interest rate: 6% a year
- Years: 15 years
Future value: $81,347.96
Common questions
What is future value?
What an amount will grow to after earning interest for a number of years. $10,000 at 6% a year is worth about $23,966 after 15 years.
Does it matter if I deposit at the start of the month?
A little. Deposits at the start earn one more month of interest each time, so the total is slightly higher. This is called an annuity due.
Should I include inflation?
To see buying power, use a rate after inflation, for example a 6% return minus 3% inflation gives roughly 3%.
Sources and further reading
The story behind it
Where the idea came from: In 1790 Benjamin Franklin left £1,000 each to Boston and Philadelphia, to be lent out and left to grow for 200 years.
Franklin wanted to show the power of compound interest over a long time. By 1990 the Boston fund was worth millions of dollars. Future value is the sum behind his experiment, and behind every savings plan.
Why you can trust this calculator
- It runs in your browser. Nothing you type into it is sent anywhere.
- The method is explained on this page, so you can check it yourself.
- Free to use, with no sign-up.
- Results are estimates, not financial advice.
- Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we'll look into it.
After 15 years as a mathematics educator, I built CalculStore to give students, teachers, professionals and anyone working with numbers simple, reliable tools.
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