Savings Goal Calculator
Find the monthly deposit needed to reach a target amount by a target date.
Inputs
Allowed range: 0 to 1000000000
Allowed range: 0 to 1000000000
Allowed range: 0 to 100
Allowed range: 1 to 1200
Results
How it works
Given a future goal FV, a current balance PV, an annual return r and a horizon in months n, we solve for the required monthly contribution PMT using the future-value-of-an-annuity formula: FV = PV(1+i)^n + PMT·((1+i)^n − 1)/i, with i = r/12.
Complete guide
Enter your goal (car, trip, down payment), what you already have saved, your expected annual return, and how many months you have.
We return the monthly deposit required, the total you will contribute over the period, and the projected investment growth.
If the required deposit is too high, extend the horizon, raise the assumed return, or lower the goal — small changes to time-horizon usually have the largest impact thanks to compounding.
Frequently asked questions
- What return should I assume?
- Conservative cash: 3–4%. Diversified stock/bond portfolio: historically 5–7% real. Use a number you can defend.
- Does it account for inflation?
- No — values are nominal. Subtract expected inflation from the return to get a real-terms estimate.