Future Value Calculator
Project how your investments will grow over time. See both nominal returns and inflation-adjusted purchasing power to plan realistically.
Calculate FV of initial investment + regular contributions
The lump sum you're investing today
Amount you'll contribute each period
Ordinary annuity - invest at end of each period
How long will your money grow?
Expected annual investment return
Annual inflation to calculate real purchasing power
Common Scenarios
$300,850.72
$183,600.45
$130,000.00
$170,850.72
4.28%
| Year | Start Balance | Contributions | Earnings | End Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $10,000.00 | $6,000.00 | $919.19 | $16,919.19 |
| 2 | $16,919.19 | $6,000.00 | $1,419.38 | $24,338.58 |
| 3 | $24,338.58 | $6,000.00 | $1,955.73 | $32,294.31 |
| 4 | $32,294.31 | $6,000.00 | $2,530.85 | $40,825.16 |
| 5 | $40,825.16 | $6,000.00 | $3,147.55 | $49,972.70 |
| 6 | $49,972.70 | $6,000.00 | $3,808.82 | $59,781.53 |
| 7 | $59,781.53 | $6,000.00 | $4,517.90 | $70,299.43 |
| 8 | $70,299.43 | $6,000.00 | $5,278.24 | $81,577.68 |
| 9 | $81,577.68 | $6,000.00 | $6,093.55 | $93,671.22 |
| 10 | $93,671.22 | $6,000.00 | $6,967.79 | $106,639.02 |
| 11 | $106,639.02 | $6,000.00 | $7,905.24 | $120,544.25 |
| 12 | $120,544.25 | $6,000.00 | $8,910.45 | $135,454.70 |
| 13 | $135,454.70 | $6,000.00 | $9,988.32 | $151,443.02 |
| 14 | $151,443.02 | $6,000.00 | $11,144.12 | $168,587.14 |
| 15 | $168,587.14 | $6,000.00 | $12,383.47 | $186,970.62 |
| 16 | $186,970.62 | $6,000.00 | $13,712.41 | $206,683.03 |
| 17 | $206,683.03 | $6,000.00 | $15,137.43 | $227,820.45 |
| 18 | $227,820.45 | $6,000.00 | $16,665.45 | $250,485.91 |
| 19 | $250,485.91 | $6,000.00 | $18,303.94 | $274,789.85 |
| 20 | $274,789.85 | $6,000.00 | $20,060.87 | $300,850.72 |
Understanding Future Value
What is Future Value?
Future value tells you how much your money will grow to given a certain rate of return over time. It's the flip side of present value - instead of discounting future money to today, you're projecting today's money into the future.
The power of compounding means your earnings generate their own earnings. Over long periods, the growth portion often exceeds your actual contributions.
Common Use Cases
- Retirement Planning: "How much will my 401(k) be worth at 65?"
- Goal Setting: "Will my savings reach $1M by age 40?"
- Investment Comparison: "Which investment grows faster over 20 years?"
- Inflation Reality Check: "What will $1M actually buy in 30 years?"
Formulas
Future Value of Lump Sum
FV = PV x (1 + r)^n
Where: PV = Present Value, r = rate per period, n = number of periods
Future Value of Annuity
FV = PMT x [((1 + r)^n - 1) / r]
Where: PMT = Payment, r = rate per period, n = number of payments
Nominal vs Real Returns
Nominal FV is the actual dollar amount you'll have. Real FV adjusts for inflation to show what that money will actually buy in today's terms.
Example: $1,000,000 in 30 years sounds impressive, but at 3% inflation, it only buys what $412,000 buys today. The "real" value matters more than the nominal number.
Example
Question: "If I invest $10,000 today and add $500/month for 20 years at 7% return, how much will I have?"
Initial $10,000 grows to: $38,697
$500/month (240 payments) grows to: $260,464
Total Future Value: $299,161
You contributed $130,000 total. The other $169,161 is pure compound growth - that's the magic of time in the market.