Your projected balance after 10 years is
Projected Balance Over Time
About This Calculator
This calculator projects the future balance of an initial sum based on an assumed rate of return, recurring deposits or withdrawals, the frequency of those transactions and the selected projection period.
Assumptions
The calculator assumes that recurring deposits or withdrawals occur at the end of each selected period—monthly or annually. The assumed rate of return is applied and compounded annually.
When monthly transactions are selected, each deposit or withdrawal is applied at the end of the applicable month, and growth is calculated according to the calculator’s annual compounding method.
These calculator results are hypothetical estimates based on the inputs and assumptions selected. They do not represent an actual client, account or specific investment. Actual investment results will vary and may be negative.
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A future value calculation estimates what a sum of money could be worth at a later date. SmartAsset’s future value calculator lets you project a balance based on a starting amount, an assumed rate of return and either recurring deposits or withdrawals. Use it to explore how regular contributions could help you build savings, or how withdrawals could affect the money you have left over time.
How to Use Our Future Value Calculator
Start by entering your principal, or the amount you have today. Next, enter a recurring transaction amount and choose Deposit if you plan to add money or Withdrawal if you plan to take money out. Select how often the transaction will occur, then enter an assumed rate of return and the number of years you want to project.
Click Calculate to see your estimated ending balance and how it changes over time. You can adjust one input at a time to compare scenarios. For example, try different monthly withdrawal amounts to see how each one affects the balance remaining at the end of your chosen period.
Projecting Future Value With Contributions
Regular deposits can make a meaningful difference in how much you accumulate over time, because each new contribution has its own chance to earn returns.
For example, say you’re saving for a down payment on a home. You have $50,000 set aside today, and you plan to deposit $500 every month for the next three years. If your savings earn an average annual return of 5%, your balance could grow to roughly $77,450 by the end of that period.
Of that total, $53,000 comes from you: your original $50,000 plus $18,000 in monthly deposits. The remaining $9,450 or so comes from investment growth. The longer your money stays invested, the more that growth tends to build on itself, since returns begin earning returns of their own. To see how much a small change could matter, try raising your monthly deposit by $100 or extending your timeline by a few years and compare the results.
Projecting Future Value With Withdrawals
Withdrawals work the other way. Instead of adding money to a balance, you’re drawing it down, and the calculator can help you see whether your savings could last as long as you need them to.
Suppose you’ve retired with $500,000 in savings and plan to withdraw $3,000 each month for the next 20 years. Assuming a 5% average annual return, you could still have about $123,200 left after 20 years, because the returns on your remaining balance help offset part of what you take out.
Now raise that withdrawal to $3,500 per month. That extra $500 a month may seem modest, but it would exhaust the same $500,000 balance in roughly 18 years, about two years short of the 20-year goal. This is why testing different withdrawal amounts can be so useful. A slightly smaller monthly draw could help your money last years longer, while a larger one could leave you with a gap later in life.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What Is the Time Value of Money?
The time value of money is the idea that when you receive money affects its value. Money available today has the potential to earn a return, while inflation may reduce the purchasing power of the same dollar amount received later. This concept helps explain why financial calculations account for both time and an assumed rate of return.
How Do You Calculate Future Value?
For a single amount with no additional transactions, multiply the starting amount by (1 + rate of return)ⁿ, where n is the number of compounding periods. If you make regular deposits or withdrawals, those transactions also affect the ending balance, so you need to account for their amounts and timing.
What’s the Difference Between Future Value and Present Value?
Future value estimates what an amount today could be worth at a later date using an assumed rate of return. Present value works in the opposite direction: It estimates what a future amount is worth today using a discount rate. One projects forward in time, while the other works backward.