Future Value Calculator
Project what a starting amount plus regular monthly contributions will grow to, with compounding returns.
- Total you'll have contributed
- $59,000
- Growth from returns
- $50,333
This calculator provides estimates only. It is general information, not financial or taxation advice, and doesn't account for your full personal circumstances. Confirm figures with your lender or a licensed adviser before making a decision.
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How this calculator works
Future value combines a starting amount with regular ongoing contributions, both growing with compounding returns — it's the general-purpose version of a growth projection, useful for anything from a general investment plan to checking how a savings habit compounds over decades.
Enter your starting amount, a monthly contribution, an expected annual return, and the number of years. The calculator compounds monthly, adding your contribution and that period's return to the balance every month.
Worked example: starting with $5,000, adding $300 a month at a 7% p.a. expected return, over 15 years grows to $109,333.42 — of which $59,000 is your own contributions (starting amount plus 15 years of $300/month) and $50,333.42 is investment growth.
Small, consistent contributions compound significantly over long periods — in this example, growth from returns ends up almost matching total contributions. The result is highly sensitive to the return rate assumption, so it's worth trying a conservative and an optimistic rate to see the range of realistic outcomes rather than trusting a single number.
Frequently asked questions
- What return rate should I use?
- It depends what you're invested in — cash and term deposits might return 4–5% p.a., a diversified share portfolio has historically averaged higher over long periods but with much more year-to-year variation. Use a rate appropriate to your actual investment, and consider trying a few different rates.
- Does this account for fees or tax?
- No — this shows gross growth before any investment fees or tax on returns. Both reduce your real-world result, sometimes significantly over a long time period, so treat this as an upper-bound projection.
- How is this different from the compound interest calculator?
- The compound interest calculator grows a single lump sum with no further contributions. This one combines a starting amount with regular ongoing contributions — useful for modelling an actual savings or investment plan rather than a one-off deposit.