Determine how much your money will grow over time. Enter a present value, optional periodic payments, interest rate, and time period to see the future value with a year-by-year breakdown.
Future value is the central concept in the time value of money: a dollar today is not the same as a dollar in 10 years, because today's dollar can be invested and compound. The future value calculation tells you what a present-day amount, plus any periodic contributions, will be worth at a future date given an assumed rate of return.
The formula has two parts. The future value of a lump sum is the easier piece — present amount times (1 + rate) raised to the number of periods. The future value of an annuity (a series of equal periodic payments) is more involved because each payment compounds for a different number of periods. Combined, the two cover almost every saving-and-investing scenario: a 401(k) balance growing alongside ongoing contributions, a savings account growing with monthly deposits, a college fund growing alongside annual contributions.
This calculator handles both pieces and offers a payment-timing toggle: payments at the end of each period (ordinary annuity, the convention for most retirement contributions) vs. the beginning (annuity due, where each payment gets one extra period of compounding). The end-vs-beginning choice changes the result by exactly one period of growth — small over short horizons, meaningful over decades.
$10,000 invested today, 7% annual return, 30 years, no contributions. FV = 10,000 × (1.07)^30 ≈ $76,123 By Rule of 72, money doubles in 72 ÷ 7 ≈ 10.3 years. So $10,000 → $20,000 by year 10, $40,000 by year 20, $80,000 by year 30. The calculator confirms this rule is a useful mental approximation.
$0 lump sum, $2,000 contributed at end of each year, 7% return, 30 years. FV = 2,000 × [(1.07)^30 − 1] / 0.07 ≈ $188,922 Total contributed: $60,000. Growth: $128,922 — more than twice what you put in. This is what makes early-career saving so powerful.
$10,000 today, $2,000/year added, 7% return, 30 years. Lump sum future value: ≈ $76,123 Annuity future value: ≈ $188,922 Total: ≈ $265,045 Total contributed: $70,000 ($10k initial + $60k over time). Growth: $195,045. Compounding nearly tripled the principal over three decades.
Use this calculator any time you want to project a savings or investment outcome forward — modeling a 401(k) balance at retirement, a 529 college fund at age 18, a savings goal at a target date, or the eventual value of a bond reinvested at its yield. It is the single most useful piece of personal finance math, and it underlies almost every other financial calculator (compound interest, retirement, college savings, FIRE planning).
Pair it with the present-value calculator to do the reverse: "I need $X at year Y — how much do I need today?" Pair it with the compound-interest calculator to model monthly (rather than annual) compounding, which matters for high-frequency contributions. For inflation-adjusted views, also see the inflation calculator.
It is less useful as a precision forecasting tool. Real-world returns vary widely year to year — a 7% average return often hides individual years of −20% and +30%. The calculator gives you the math of compound growth, not a guarantee. For high-precision financial planning, use multiple scenarios (conservative, expected, aggressive) and Monte Carlo modeling for portfolio decisions.
Discount future money to find what it is worth today.
See how your money grows over time with compound interest and regular contributions.
Calculate simple interest on a principal amount over time.
Find out how long it takes to reach $1 million (or any target).
Calculate dividend income with DRIP reinvestment and dividend growth.
Calculate dividend yield from stock price and dividend payments.
Future Value
$47,304
Total Contributions
$30,000
Total Interest
$17,304
| Year | Start Balance | Contribution | Interest | End Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $10,000.00 | $2,000.00 | $700.00 | $12,700.00 |
| 2 | $12,700.00 | $2,000.00 | $889.00 | $15,589.00 |
| 3 | $15,589.00 | $2,000.00 | $1,091.23 | $18,680.23 |
| 4 | $18,680.23 | $2,000.00 | $1,307.62 | $21,987.85 |
| 5 | $21,987.85 | $2,000.00 | $1,539.15 | $25,527.00 |
| 6 | $25,527.00 | $2,000.00 | $1,786.89 | $29,313.88 |
| 7 | $29,313.88 | $2,000.00 | $2,051.97 | $33,365.86 |
| 8 | $33,365.86 | $2,000.00 | $2,335.61 | $37,701.47 |
| 9 | $37,701.47 | $2,000.00 | $2,639.10 | $42,340.57 |
| 10 | $42,340.57 | $2,000.00 | $2,963.84 | $47,304.41 |