Future Value Calculator

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%
Options — compounding, deposit each period
$
Future value — ending balance
Total contributions — present value + deposits
Interest earned — growth on top

Future value is what money today grows into once it earns interest — the cornerstone of the time value of money. This calculator finds the future value of a lump sum, a stream of regular deposits, or both, at any rate and compounding frequency, and splits the ending balance into what you put in versus the interest earned. Enter a present value, an annual rate and a term; add a per-period deposit to model steady saving. For the reverse direction — a future sum discounted to today — use the Present Value calculator.

How to Calculate Future Value

A present sum, a rate, a term — and optional deposits.

1

Enter today's amount

Type the present value — the lump sum you have now. Leave it at zero to model deposits only.

2

Set rate, term and compounding

Enter the annual rate and number of years, and choose how often interest compounds.

3

Add deposits and read the FV

Optionally add a deposit each period, then see the future value split into contributions and interest.

The Time Value of Money

Why a dollar today beats a dollar tomorrow.

Future value is the forward half of the time value of money: because money can earn a return, a sum you hold today is worth more than the same sum received later. Grow it at rate i for n periods and it becomes PV × (1 + i)ⁿ — the compounding curve that bends upward the longer you wait. Add a fixed deposit each period and those deposits form an annuity whose future value is added on top.

The two levers that matter most are time and rate. Doubling the years does far more than doubling the deposit, because the earliest dollars compound the longest — which is the whole argument for starting to save early. Try holding the rate fixed and changing only the term to see how the interest-earned figure pulls away from what you actually contributed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is future value?
Future value is what a sum of money today will be worth at a later date once it has earned interest or investment returns. It is the core idea behind the time value of money: a dollar now is worth more than a dollar later, because the dollar now can be invested and grow. This calculator finds the future value of a present lump sum, of a stream of regular deposits, or of both together, using the interest rate and compounding frequency you choose. The result tells you the ending balance, how much of it was money you put in, and how much was interest earned. Everything runs in your browser, so nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
What is the future value formula?
For a single lump sum, future value is FV = PV × (1 + i)ⁿ, where PV is the present amount, i is the interest rate per compounding period, and n is the number of periods. When you also add a fixed deposit each period, the deposits use the future value of an annuity: FV = PMT × ((1 + i)ⁿ − 1) ÷ i, and the two parts are added together. The calculator converts your annual rate and years into a per-period rate and a period count based on the compounding frequency you pick — monthly compounding over 10 years is 120 periods at one-twelfth of the annual rate, for example — then applies both formulas so the result covers a lump sum, regular deposits, or a combination of the two.
How does compounding frequency change the result?
More frequent compounding produces a slightly higher future value, because interest is credited and starts earning its own interest sooner. The same 6% annual rate grows a lump sum a little more when compounded monthly than annually, since each month's interest joins the balance and compounds for the rest of the term. The effect is real but usually modest at ordinary rates — the jump from annual to monthly is far larger than from monthly to daily, which shows diminishing returns. Use the compounding selector to match how your account actually credits interest; savings accounts often compound daily or monthly, while a simple annual assumption is fine for a rough projection. The calculator applies your chosen frequency to both the lump sum and the deposits.
What is the difference between future value and present value?
Future value and present value are the same relationship viewed from opposite ends of time. Future value grows a known amount forward — what today's money becomes after earning returns. Present value discounts a known future amount backward — what a sum you will receive later is worth in today's money. If future value multiplies by (1 + i)ⁿ, present value divides by it. Use future value to project what savings or an investment will grow to; use present value to decide what a future payoff, pension or windfall is worth now, or to compare amounts arriving at different times on an equal footing. Our Present Value Calculator handles the reverse direction if that is what you need.
Does this account for inflation or taxes?
No — the future value shown is a nominal figure, before inflation and before any tax on the interest or gains. Inflation erodes what that future balance can actually buy, so a large nominal number decades out is worth less in real purchasing power than it looks; to see the inflation-adjusted picture, enter a real (after-inflation) rate of return instead of the nominal rate, or use our Inflation Calculator alongside this one. Taxes depend on the account and your situation — tax-advantaged accounts may owe nothing until withdrawal, while a taxable account is taxed on interest as it is earned. Treat the result as a clean, before-tax, before-inflation projection and adjust for your own circumstances.

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