Solve for future value, present value, loan payments, interest rate, or number of periods instantly. Enter any four known variables and calculate the fifth with no spreadsheet required.
Our loan and amortization calculator delivers precise results in three easy steps.
Enter your loan amount, interest rate, and repayment term using our simple input fields.
Our advanced formula instantly computes your loan payment, interest cost, and amortization schedule.
See detailed results including monthly payments, total loan cost, and payment breakdown over time.
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Estimate monthly mortgage payments and loan terms accurately.
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View full loan amortization tables and payoff schedules.
Calculate discounts, final prices, and savings on purchases
This online finance calculator solves for any one of the five core time value of money (TVM) variables. Select the tab for the value you want to find, enter the four values you already know, and click Calculate.
Use this when you want to know what your money will be worth at a future point in time. Enter your starting balance (Present Value), the annual interest rate, the number of compounding periods, and any regular contributions (Periodic Payment). The calculator returns the total value your investment will reach.
Example: You invest $10,000 today at 6% annually, add $200 each month for 24 months - what will you have?
Use this to calculate the regular payment amount for a loan or savings goal. Enter the loan amount as Present Value, your interest rate, total number of periods, and a Future Value of $0 for a fully amortizing loan. The result is the fixed payment you owe each period.
Example: You borrow $25,000 at 7.5% for 60 months - what is your monthly car payment?
Use this when you know your payment amount, loan balance, and term, but need to determine the effective annual interest rate. This is useful for reverse-engineering the rate on a loan offer you've received, or verifying that a quoted APR matches the actual payment schedule.
Example: A lender quotes you $450/month on a $20,000 loan for 48 months - what is the real annual rate?
Use this to find how many payment periods it will take to reach a financial goal or pay off a debt. Enter your starting balance, interest rate, regular payment, and target future value. The result tells you exactly how many months or years you need.
Example: You owe $15,000 on a credit card at 18% and can pay $350/month - how many months until it's paid off?
Use this to find the current worth of a future sum of money, discounted at a given rate. This is the foundation of discounted cash flow analysis and bond valuation. Enter the future amount you expect, the discount rate, number of periods, and any regular payment stream.
Example: You'll receive $50,000 in 10 years - what is it worth in today's dollars at a 5% discount rate?
Tip on periods: All interest rates in this calculator are annual. If you're making monthly payments, enter the number of months (not years) as your periods. The calculator divides your annual rate by 12 to get the correct monthly rate for each period.
Once you click Calculate, the result shown depends on which tab you selected. Here is what each result means for your financial planning.
This is the total dollar amount your investment or savings account will hold at the end of all periods, including both growth from compound interest and any periodic contributions you made along the way. A higher future value means your money is working harder.
This is your required payment per period, typically per month for consumer loans. For a loan, this covers both interest and a portion of principal. Multiply it by the total number of periods to find your total cost, then subtract the original loan amount to see total interest paid.
The result is the annual interest rate implied by your inputs. Compare this to the rate a lender quoted you. If the calculated rate is higher, there may be hidden fees embedded in the payment structure. For investments, compare this rate to your benchmark return to evaluate performance.
The result tells you the total number of payment periods to reach your goal. If you entered monthly data, the result is in months, so divide by 12 to convert to years. Use this to set realistic savings timelines or to understand your loan payoff date.
This is the current dollar equivalent of a future sum, discounted at your chosen rate. If someone offers you $50,000 in 10 years and your discount rate is 5%, the present value is about $30,695. That means you'd be indifferent between receiving $30,695 today or $50,000 a decade from now. This concept drives every valuation decision in corporate finance, real estate, and retirement planning.
This calculator uses the standard time value of money (TVM) formula, the same equation found in Excel's FV, PV, PMT, RATE, and NPER functions, and in professional financial calculators like the HP 12C and Texas Instruments BA II Plus.
FV = PV × (1 + r)n + PMT × [(1 + r)n − 1] / r
FV - Future Value
The total value of your money at the end of all periods.
PV - Present Value
Your starting balance or the current value of the money you have today.
r - Periodic Rate
Annual rate divided by the number of periods per year (e.g., 6% annually = 0.5% per month).
n - Number of Periods
Total number of compounding periods (months, quarters, or years).
PMT - Periodic Payment
The fixed cash flow added (savings) or removed (loan payment) each period. Use $0 if there are no recurring contributions.
Suppose you have $10,000 in a high-yield savings account earning 6% per year. You also deposit $200 each month. How much will you have after 2 years (24 months)?
FV = $10,000 × (1.005)24 + $200 × [(1.005)24 − 1] / 0.005
FV = $10,000 × 1.12716 + $200 × [0.12716 / 0.005]
FV = $11,271.60 + $200 × 25.432
FV = $11,271.60 + $5,086.40
FV = $16,358.00
Your $10,000 deposit plus 24 monthly contributions of $200, totaling $14,800 of your own money, grows to $16,358. The extra $1,558 is pure interest earned through compound growth.
You want to borrow $25,000 for a new car at 7.5% APR over 60 months. What is your monthly payment?
PMT = PV × r / [1 − (1 + r)−n]
PMT = $25,000 × 0.00625 / [1 − (1.00625)−60]
PMT = $156.25 / [1 − 0.6879]
PMT = $156.25 / 0.3121
PMT = $500.80 / month
Over 60 months, you pay $500.80 × 60 = $30,048 total. Subtracting the $25,000 principal, you pay $5,048 in interest over the life of the loan.
Here are six real-world scenarios where this finance calculator saves you time and eliminates guesswork.
Use the Future Value tab to model your 401(k) or IRA growth. Enter your current balance as PV, your expected annual return, typically 6-8% for a diversified portfolio, your monthly contribution as PMT, and the number of months until retirement as periods. The result shows your projected balance at retirement.
Tip: Increase your PMT by even $50/month and recalculate. The compounding effect over 20-30 years is often surprising.
Use the Periodic Payment tab to compare dealer financing vs. your credit union. Run the calculation for each rate, such as 6.9% vs. 4.5%, and the same 60-month term on a $30,000 loan. The difference in monthly payments multiplied by 60 reveals your total savings, which often exceeds $1,500 to $2,500.
Tip: In California and Texas, credit unions routinely offer auto rates 1-2% below dealership financing. Always check before you sign.
Use the Number of Periods tab to see how making extra principal payments shortens your payoff timeline. Enter your current loan balance as PV, your interest rate, and an increased monthly payment as PMT. The result shows how many fewer months you'll carry the debt and the interest you'll save by ending sooner.
Tip: An extra $100/month on a $35,000 student loan at 5.5% can eliminate over 3 years of payments and save more than $3,000 in interest.
Use the Periodic Payment tab in reverse: enter your target down payment as FV (e.g., $60,000 for a 20% down payment on a $300,000 Florida home), your current savings as PV, your high-yield savings account rate, and a realistic timeline as periods. The result is the monthly savings amount you need to hit your goal.
Tip: In high-cost states like California, target an 18-month to 36-month savings runway and use HYSA rates of 4-5% to maximize your down payment growth.
Use the Future Value tab to see what a certificate of deposit will be worth at maturity. Enter the deposit amount as PV, the CD's APY as the rate, the term in months as periods, and $0 for PMT (no additional contributions). The result is your exact maturity value, including compounded interest.
Tip: Compare a 12-month CD at 4.8% against a 24-month CD at 5.1% using two separate FV calculations to see which yields more after accounting for the longer lockup period.
Use the Interest Rate tab when a lender gives you a payment amount but not a clear rate. Enter the loan balance as PV, the quoted monthly payment as PMT, the loan term as periods, and $0 as FV. The result reveals the true annual rate embedded in that offer and whether it matches what was advertised as APR.
Tip: If the calculated rate is higher than the stated rate, ask the lender to itemize all origination fees, points, and closing costs. The difference between interest rate and effective APR is often where hidden charges live.
The time value of money (TVM) is the single most important concept in personal finance and corporate investment analysis. It states that a dollar available to you today is worth more than a dollar promised in the future because today's dollar can be invested immediately to start earning interest or returns.
Every loan, mortgage, annuity, bond, and retirement account is priced using TVM math. When a bank offers you a 30-year mortgage, it uses TVM to set your monthly payment. When a company evaluates a new project, it uses discounted cash flow (DCF), which is PV calculation at scale, to decide whether the future returns justify today's investment.
For individuals, TVM is the mathematical basis for three core decisions:
Inflation erodes purchasing power over time, which reinforces the TVM principle. At 3% annual inflation, $10,000 today will only have the purchasing power of about $7,441 in 10 years. This is why a "real" discount rate, your investment return minus inflation, is often used in long-term financial planning to model purchasing power rather than nominal dollar amounts.
Learn how our calculators work and make informed financial decisions
Our loan payment calculator uses the standard amortization formula to compute your monthly payment. It accounts for principal, loan term, and interest rate for accurate repayment details.
Our investment calculator illustrates how your savings grow over time using compound and simple interest.
Our mortgage loan interest calculator helps estimate true homeownership costs including principal, interest, taxes, and insurance.
One of the most common sources of confusion when using any TVM calculator is the distinction between an ordinary annuity and an annuity due. Understanding the difference matters because it changes when each payment is timed relative to the compounding period — which directly affects your calculated present value, future value, and payment amount.
Payments are made or received at the end of each period. This is the default convention for most financial products in the United States, including auto loans, mortgages, and most student loans.
This calculator uses ordinary annuity convention — matching the default behavior of Excel's PMT, PV, and FV functions when you omit the optional "type" argument.
Payments are made or received at the beginning of each period. Because each payment occurs one period earlier, the present value of an annuity due is always slightly higher than the same ordinary annuity.
To approximate an annuity due result, multiply the ordinary annuity payment or value by (1 + r), where r is the periodic rate. For most consumer loans, the difference is under 0.5%.
Professional financial calculators like the HP 12C and Texas Instruments BA II Plus use a strict sign convention: cash inflows are positive; cash outflows are negative. If you're borrowing $25,000 (receiving cash), PV is positive. Your monthly loan payments represent money leaving your pocket, so PMT is entered as negative. Excel's PMT, PV, and FV functions follow this same convention.
This online calculator simplifies the experience by using the absolute value of your inputs and inferring the direction from the tab you select. For most consumer calculations — finding a loan payment, projecting savings growth, or solving for a payoff date — enter all positive numbers and the result will be correct. The calculator displays results rounded to two decimal places, consistent with lender and bank statement formats.
Here is a full worked example using the most common US mortgage scenario. This uses the Periodic Payment (PMT) tab and assumes a standard 30-year, fixed-rate, fully amortizing ordinary annuity.
PMT = PV × r / [1 − (1 + r)−n]
PMT = $350,000 × 0.005625 / [1 − (1.005625)−360]
PMT = $1,968.75 / [1 − 0.13268]
PMT = $1,968.75 / 0.86732
Monthly Payment = $2,270.25
Over 30 years your total payments equal $2,270.25 × 360 = $817,290. Subtract the $350,000 principal and you pay $467,290 in total interest — over 133% of the original loan. This is why refinancing to a lower rate or making extra principal payments has such a powerful effect on the total cost of homeownership.
State tip (California & New York): In high-cost states where median home prices exceed $750,000, buyers frequently use this TVM calculator to compare a 15-year loan at 6.25% versus a 30-year loan at 6.75% on the same balance. On a $500,000 loan, the 15-year option carries a payment of roughly $4,287/month but saves over $400,000 in total interest — a powerful argument for the shorter term if you can manage the higher monthly cash outflow.
Find answers to common questions about our financial calculators
Select the Periodic Payment tab and enter your loan amount as the Present Value, your annual interest rate, the number of monthly periods (e.g., 60 for a 5-year loan), and set Future Value to $0. Click Calculate to get your exact monthly payment, which covers both principal reduction and interest charges each month.
An amortization schedule shows each loan payment divided into principal and interest portions, helping you see how your balance decreases over time. In the early months of a loan, most of your payment goes toward interest. As the principal balance shrinks, a larger share shifts to principal reduction. For a full period-by-period table, use our Amortization Calculator.
Yes. The TVM formula used here handles compound interest naturally, so interest is charged on both the principal and any previously accrued interest each period. For simple interest scenarios, where interest applies only to the original principal, you can set PMT to $0 and adjust the rate accordingly for a close approximation.
This finance calculator focuses on core TVM variables: principal, interest, payment, rate, and periods. It does not include taxes or insurance. For a mortgage estimate that includes property taxes, homeowner's insurance, and PMI (PITI), use our dedicated Mortgage Calculator.
Our formulas use the same industry-standard financial equations found in Excel (FV, PV, PMT, RATE, NPER functions) and professional financial calculators. Results are rounded to two decimal places, providing highly accurate estimates. Minor differences from a lender's quote may reflect rounding conventions or fees not captured in the base interest rate.
For a full, printable amortization schedule showing each period's payment, interest portion, principal portion, and remaining balance, visit our Amortization Calculator. It generates a complete table you can print directly from your browser or export for your records.
The interest rate is the base cost of borrowing. It determines how much interest accrues on your principal balance each period. APR (Annual Percentage Rate) is broader: it includes the interest rate plus origination fees, points, mortgage insurance, and other costs, spread over the life of the loan. APR is always equal to or higher than the interest rate. Use the APR when comparing loan offers to get a true apples-to-apples cost comparison.
Yes. Run the calculator multiple times, change the interest rate, loan amount, or term, and note each result. For example, compare a 15-year mortgage vs. a 30-year mortgage: the 15-year has a higher monthly payment but dramatically less total interest paid over the life of the loan. Seeing these figures side by side helps you make a data-driven decision.
No. All calculations run entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your financial information, including loan amounts, interest rates, and payment figures, is never transmitted to a server, stored in a database, or shared with any third party. You can use this calculator with complete privacy.
An ordinary annuity makes or receives payments at the end of each period — this covers most consumer loans, mortgages, and investment contributions. An annuity due makes payments at the beginning of each period, like rent or lease payments. This calculator uses ordinary annuity convention, matching the default behavior of Excel's TVM functions. For annuity due scenarios, multiply the ordinary annuity result by (1 + r) where r is the periodic rate to get an approximate annuity due result.
With simple interest, you earn interest only on the original principal. A $10,000 deposit at 6% simple interest earns $600 per year, reaching $16,000 after 10 years. With compound interest, each period's interest is added to the principal so you earn interest on your interest. The same $10,000 at 6% compounded annually for 10 years grows to approximately $17,908 — an extra $1,908 purely from compounding. This difference grows dramatically over longer time horizons, which is why TVM calculations always assume compound interest for accurate savings and investment projections.
The time value of money (TVM) is the financial principle that a dollar today is worth more than a dollar in the future, because money available now can be invested to earn returns. This concept underpins every loan, investment, and savings calculation. It explains why paying off debt early saves money, why starting retirement savings young matters, and why lenders charge interest on loans. All five tabs in this calculator are direct applications of TVM math.