The Savings Calculator shows how much your savings will grow over time from an initial deposit plus regular monthly and annual contributions, earning compound interest. Enter your details below and click Calculate to see your projected balance and a full accumulation schedule.
The savings calculator shows how much a savings account or other interest-bearing account will be worth in the future, based on an initial deposit, ongoing monthly and annual contributions, a compound interest rate, the length of time you save, and an optional tax rate on the interest you earn. It is one of the most useful tools for planning toward any financial goal - an emergency fund, a down payment, a vacation, a wedding, college, or retirement - because it turns a simple savings habit into a concrete projected number.
Enter your starting balance, how much you plan to add each month or year (and whether those contributions grow over time), the interest rate, how often interest compounds, and how many years you will save. The calculator instantly returns your projected end balance, a breakdown of how much came from your own deposits versus interest earned, and a complete year-by-year and month-by-month accumulation schedule.
The calculator simulates your account month by month over the entire savings period. Each month it credits interest on the current balance and adds your contributions, so the result captures the full power of compounding - earning interest not only on your deposits but also on the interest those deposits have already earned. The four ingredients that determine your final balance are:
This is the amount you have to start with today. Even a modest initial deposit benefits from the longest compounding runway, so it has an outsized effect compared to a contribution made years later. If you are starting from zero, simply enter 0 and rely on your contributions.
The annual contribution is a lump sum you add once per year (the calculator adds it at the end of each year). The "increase per year" field lets that yearly deposit grow by a fixed percentage annually - useful for modeling raises, bonuses, or a deliberate plan to save more each year. A 3% annual increase, for instance, roughly keeps your contributions rising with typical inflation.
The monthly contribution is added at the end of each month. Like the annual contribution, it can grow each year by the percentage you specify. Monthly contributions are powerful because they are added frequently and start compounding sooner than once-a-year deposits.
This is the nominal annual interest rate (APR) your account pays. Savings accounts, money market accounts, CDs, and bonds all quote an annual rate. Enter the rate as a percentage - for example, 3 for 3%.
Compounding frequency is how often the bank calculates and adds interest to your balance: annually, semiannually, quarterly, monthly, semimonthly, biweekly, weekly, daily, or continuously. The more frequently interest compounds, the slightly higher your effective return, because you start earning interest on newly added interest sooner.
The length of your savings horizon in years. Because compounding is exponential, extending your horizon even a few years can dramatically increase the final balance.
If the interest you earn is taxable, enter your marginal tax rate here and the calculator deducts tax from the interest each period before it compounds. This shows the real, after-tax growth of a taxable account. For tax-advantaged accounts (like a Roth IRA or 401(k)), leave the tax rate at 0.
For a single lump sum with no contributions, compound interest follows this formula:
A = P × (1 + r/n)n×t
Where A is the ending amount, P is the principal (initial deposit), r is the annual interest rate as a decimal, n is the number of compounding periods per year, and t is the number of years. When contributions are added, the calculator computes the future value of each contribution as well, simulating month by month so that every deposit compounds for exactly the time it remains in the account.
Example: Starting with $20,000, adding $5,000 at the end of each year (growing 3% annually), at a 3% interest rate compounded annually for 10 years, produces an end balance of about $92,116.99. Of that, $20,000 is your initial deposit, $57,319.40 is your total contributions, and $14,797.59 is interest earned.
Compound interest is often called the eighth wonder of the world because of how it accelerates growth over time. In the early years, most of your balance growth comes from your own contributions. But as the balance builds, the interest portion grows faster and faster, eventually overtaking contributions as the main engine of growth. This is why the single best thing you can do for any savings goal is to start early - the extra years at the beginning are worth far more than extra years at the end.
Consider two savers who each contribute $300 a month at a 6% return. The one who starts at age 25 and stops at 35 (contributing for only 10 years) often ends up with more at retirement than the one who starts at 35 and contributes for 30 years - simply because the early money had decades to compound. Time in the market beats timing the market.
Offered by virtually every bank, these accounts are safe, liquid, and federally insured (up to FDIC limits), but they typically pay very low interest. They are best for short-term goals and emergency funds where access matters more than growth.
Usually offered by online banks, high-yield savings accounts pay substantially more interest than traditional accounts while remaining liquid and FDIC-insured. They are an excellent home for an emergency fund or money you may need within a few years.
These blend features of savings and checking accounts, often offering competitive rates along with limited check-writing or debit access. They generally require higher minimum balances.
CDs lock your money for a fixed term (months to years) in exchange for a guaranteed, usually higher, interest rate. Withdrawing early triggers a penalty, so CDs suit money you will not need until the term ends.
Retirement accounts such as 401(k)s and IRAs offer tax benefits that dramatically improve long-term growth. Traditional versions defer taxes until withdrawal; Roth versions grow tax-free. For these, set the tax rate to 0 in the calculator.
Simple interest is calculated only on the original principal, so it grows in a straight line. Compound interest is calculated on the principal plus all previously earned interest, so it grows exponentially. Over short periods the difference is small, but over decades it is enormous. Nearly all real savings accounts use compound interest, which is what this calculator models.
A common guideline is to save at least 20% of your income, split between retirement and other goals, but the right amount depends on your goals and timeline. Use this calculator to work backward: enter a target end balance scenario and adjust your monthly contribution until you reach it within your time frame.
The more frequently interest compounds, the more you earn, because interest starts earning interest sooner. The difference between annual and daily compounding is modest at typical savings rates, but it is always in your favor to compound more often.
Yes. If you enter a tax rate, the calculator deducts tax from the interest earned each period before it compounds, showing your real after-tax balance. For tax-advantaged accounts like Roth IRAs, leave the tax rate at 0.
Use the rate your account actually pays. Traditional savings accounts often pay a fraction of a percent, while high-yield savings accounts and CDs can pay several percent. For long-term investment projections, people sometimes use a higher expected return, but remember that investments carry risk that savings accounts do not.
The initial deposit is the lump sum you start with today, while contributions are the regular amounts you add over time. Both grow with compound interest, but the initial deposit compounds for the entire period, so it often punches above its weight in the final balance.
Yes. The "increase per year" fields let your monthly and annual contributions grow by a set percentage each year, which is useful for modeling raises or a plan to save more as your income rises.