Future Value Calculator

Project what a starting amount and regular deposits could be worth in the future using an annual rate and compounding frequency.

Future value$5,000.00 starting + $250.00/month for 120 months. Cash contributed $35,000.00; projected growth $15,066.82 at 6% with 12 compounding period(s)/year.

Starting amountcurrencyMonthly contributioncurrencyAnnual rate%Time horizonyearsCompounding frequencytimes/year

Live math canvas

Your numbers, formula and explanation together

Future Value Calculator: $50,066.82 future value. $5,000.00 starting + $250.00/month for 120 months. Cash contributed $35,000.00; projected growth $15,066.82 at 6% with 12 compounding period(s)/year.

Formula applied

The exact method behind this answer

CalculationTime keeps the method visible so the number can be checked instead of blindly trusted.

Future value = starting amount × (1 + periodic rate)^periods + monthly contribution × (((1 + periodic rate)^months − 1) ÷ periodic rate). If the rate is 0, future value = starting amount + monthly contribution × months.

Apply the formulaFuture value = starting amount × (1 + periodic rate)^periods + monthly contribution × (((1 + periodic rate)^months − 1) ÷ periodic rate). If the rate is 0, future value = starting amount + monthly contribution × months.$50,066.82 future value$5,000.00 starting + $250.00/month for 120 months. Cash contributed $35,000.00; projected growth $15,066.82 at 6% with 12 compounding period(s)/year.

Your live breakdown

Current inputs in the calculation

These values come from the controls above and update when the calculator changes.

Starting amount: 5,000 currency
Monthly contribution: 250 currency
Annual rate: 6 %
Time horizon: 10 years
Compounding frequency: 12 times/year

Resulting answer

$50,066.82 future value

$5,000.00 starting + $250.00/month for 120 months. Cash contributed $35,000.00; projected growth $15,066.82 at 6% with 12 compounding period(s)/year.

Answer: $50,066.82 future value
Live support: $5,000.00 starting + $250.00/month for 120 months. Cash contributed $35,000.00; projected growth $15,066.82 at 6% with 12 compounding period(s)/year.

Assumptions used

What this answer assumes

Planning projection only. Keep rate, time, contribution timing and exclusions beside the result.

The annual rate is a user-entered planning rate, not a guaranteed return.
Monthly contributions are treated as equal end-of-month deposits.
The compounding frequency controls the starting amount growth factor; monthly deposits are accumulated monthly.
Taxes, fees, inflation, changing rates, missed deposits and investment risk are not included.
This is transparent finance arithmetic only, not financial advice.

Master’s Tip

How to use the result well

Master’s Tip: always print a 0% scenario beside the entered-rate scenario. The gap between those two numbers shows how much of the plan depends on assumed growth rather than cash actually deposited.

Printable record

What belongs in the saved calculation

Save the inputs, result, formula, assumptions, page URL and date together so the calculation can be reviewed later.

Starting amount: 5,000 currency
Monthly contribution: 250 currency
Annual rate: 6 %
Time horizon: 10 years

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Formula

Future value = starting amount × (1 + periodic rate)^periods + monthly contribution × (((1 + periodic rate)^months − 1) ÷ periodic rate). If the rate is 0, future value = starting amount + monthly contribution × months.

Worked example

For a 5,000 starting amount, 250 monthly deposits, 10 years and 6% annual interest compounded monthly, the monthly rate is 0.06 ÷ 12 and there are 120 months. The starting amount grows to about 9,096.98 and the deposits grow to about 44,637.45, giving a future value of about 53,734.43.

Professional note

Regional and unit assumptions

Standard or basis: transparent future-value arithmetic with nominal annual rate, user-entered compounding frequency and end-of-month deposits. It does not model tax, APR disclosures, pension rules, account fees or guaranteed investment performance.

Assumptions and limitations

The annual rate is a user-entered planning rate, not a guaranteed return.
Monthly contributions are treated as equal end-of-month deposits.
The compounding frequency controls the starting amount growth factor; monthly deposits are accumulated monthly.
Taxes, fees, inflation, changing rates, missed deposits and investment risk are not included.
This is transparent finance arithmetic only, not financial advice.

Methodology & Accuracy

How this calculator is checked

CalculationTime pages are built around visible arithmetic: the formula, assumptions, worked example and practical limitations are shown so the result can be checked rather than simply trusted.

Formula used

Standard or basis

Where a calculator follows a named legal, trade or industry standard, that standard is cited visibly. Otherwise the page uses transparent general arithmetic and states its limits.

Master's Tip

Questions

How do you calculate future value?

Compound the starting amount forward by the periodic rate, then add the accumulated value of regular deposits over the same time period.

Are monthly contributions made at the beginning or end of the month?

This calculator assumes contributions are made at the end of each month. Beginning-of-month deposits would have one extra month to grow.

What happens if the interest rate is 0?

The result becomes simple cash accumulation: starting amount plus monthly contribution multiplied by the number of months.

Is future value the same as compound interest?

Future value is the projected ending amount. Compound interest is one method used to grow the starting balance and deposits toward that amount.

Does this include inflation, tax or fees?

No. The calculator shows arithmetic growth from the entered assumptions only. Real accounts or investments may be affected by inflation, tax, fees and changing returns.

Calculation note

Future value arithmetic turns today’s money and planned deposits into a projected future amount. It is useful for savings plans, classroom finance, quote comparisons and investment examples, but the answer is only as reliable as the entered rate and deposit assumptions.

Future value projects forward from known inputs

The starting amount, contribution amount, rate, time and compounding basis are visible because each one can materially change the answer. The formula does not hide the fact that the future value is an estimate, not a promise.

Deposits need a timing convention

This page assumes monthly contributions arrive at the end of each month. That conservative convention keeps the report simple and prevents the calculator from quietly giving deposits extra growth time.

The 0% comparison keeps the projection honest

A zero-rate row shows the cash-only total. Comparing that row with the entered-rate result reveals how much projected growth is doing in the calculation.

Future value and present value are paired ideas

Future value moves money forward through time. Present value works backward from a future amount to an equivalent amount today. Using both pages together can make finance comparisons clearer.

Sources and further readingInvestor.gov: Compound Interest Calculator Investor.gov: Compound Interest Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: Savings