Future value calculator
Project future value from a starting amount, per-period rate, and recurring contributions.
What this calculator covers
Use this future value calculator to estimate how a present amount and repeated contributions can grow over a fixed number of periods.
This version treats the rate as a per-period input, which makes it useful for monthly, quarterly, or custom-period scenarios without forcing an annual assumption.
The result separates total contributed cash from earned growth so the ending balance is easier to interpret.
Frequently asked questions
- What does "rate per period" mean and how do I convert an annual rate?
- The rate per period is the growth rate applied each time a compounding period passes. To convert an annual rate, divide by the number of periods in a year — monthly compounding uses the annual rate divided by 12, quarterly uses divided by 4. Enter that result as the per-period rate.
- Are contributions assumed at the beginning or end of each period?
- Contributions are added at the end of each period. This is the ordinary-annuity convention. If your situation calls for beginning-of-period deposits, use the future value annuity calculator with the annuity-due option instead.
- What does "growth earned" represent in the result?
- Growth earned is the difference between the final future value and the total cash you put in (starting amount plus all periodic contributions). It represents the compounding return — money created by growth rather than deposited directly.
- Does this calculator account for taxes or inflation?
- No. The result is a nominal, pre-tax figure. To estimate real (inflation-adjusted) growth, subtract the expected inflation rate from the nominal growth rate before entering it as the per-period rate. Tax treatment depends on the account type and is not modeled here.
Tool
Run the calculation
Result
RESULT · FUTURE VALUE
â„–072
Primary result
$16,357.99
$10,000.00 growing at 0.50% per period for 24 periods reaches $16,357.99 with $200.00 added at the end of each period.
- Future value
- $16,357.99
- Total contributed
- $14,800.00
- Growth earned
- $1,557.99
Step-by-step solution
- 1.Grow the present value for 24 periods at 0.50% per period.
- 2.Add the future value of $200.00 contributed at the end of each period across the same 24 periods.
- 3.Combine the grown starting balance and the grown contributions to reach $16,357.99, of which $1,557.99 is growth.
Walkthrough
Visual walkthrough
Future value comes from compounding the starting balance and then layering in the compounded value of each later contribution.
01
Grow the starting balance
$10,000.00 × (1 + 0.50%)^24
The present value compounds through every period in the horizon.
02
Stack the repeated contributions
$200.00 each period
Each end-of-period contribution compounds for however many periods remain after it is added.
03
Read the ending balance
The final future value combines both sources of growth and lets you separate contributed cash from earned growth.
$16,357.99 final value