Future Value Calculator
What will your money be worth later? Enter a lump sum, add optional regular deposits, pick a rate and a horizon — and see the future value, how much of it is growth, and the year-by-year path.
▸ Show year-by-year breakdown
| Period | Deposited | Growth | Value |
|---|
Estimates are for illustration and education only — not financial advice. Returns are assumed constant and are not guaranteed.
What "future value" actually means
Future value (FV) is what an amount of money today will be worth at a specific point in the future, given a rate of return. It's the standard question behind almost every savings decision: if I put this money to work now, what do I end up with? This calculator answers it for a lump sum, a stream of regular deposits, or both combined.
The formula behind the numbers
For a lump sum, FV = PV × (1 + i)n, where i is the rate per period and n the number of periods. Regular deposits add an annuity term on top: each deposit compounds from the moment it lands, so earlier deposits contribute more to the final value. The deposit timing toggle switches between deposits made at the end of each period (an ordinary annuity — the common assumption) and at the start (an annuity due, which earns one extra period of growth per deposit).
The money multiple
The third stat shows your money multiple — future value divided by everything you put in. A multiple of 2.0× means compounding doubled your money on top of your deposits. Watch how it climbs with time: it's the clearest single number for the power of a long horizon.
Future value vs. purchasing power
FV is a nominal figure — it doesn't account for inflation. $60,000 in 30 years buys less than $60,000 today. For an inflation-adjusted view, use our compound interest calculator, which has an inflation field in its advanced options. And if you're starting from a target instead of a deposit, the savings goal calculator works the problem in reverse.
What $10,000 grows into
Future value of a one-time $10,000 deposit with no further contributions, compounded monthly. A feel for what rate and time do on their own.
| Rate | 10 years | 20 years | 30 years | 40 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2% | $12,212 | $14,913 | $18,212 | $22,241 |
| 4% | $14,908 | $22,226 | $33,135 | $49,399 |
| 6% | $18,194 | $33,102 | $60,226 | $109,575 |
| 8% | $22,196 | $49,268 | $109,357 | $242,734 |
| 10% | $27,070 | $73,281 | $198,374 | $537,007 |
Figures are rounded and assume a constant rate with monthly compounding — illustrative only.
The future value formula
Future value combines two pieces: a lump sum compounding forward, plus the accumulated value of a stream of regular deposits.