Enter your starting amount, contribution amount, and frequency to see how your balance grows over time. Compound interest rewards consistency more than big one-time deposits.
Projected balance and how much of it comes from deposits.
Total Balance
$26,402.64
Projected ending balance
Savings Growth Over Time
$5,000.00 to $26,402.64 over 5 years.
This calculator projects how your savings grow from three ingredients: your starting balance, your regular contributions, and compound interest. Compounding means you earn interest on your interest — each period, the rate applies to your full balance, including all the growth that came before. Early on, your contributions do most of the work; over longer periods, the interest itself becomes a bigger and bigger share of the growth.
The chart shows your projected balance year by year, split between what you put in and what interest added. Try changing one input at a time: bumping a monthly contribution from $200 to $300, or extending the timeline from 5 to 10 years, often matters far more than chasing a slightly higher rate.
For the rate, use something realistic for where the money will live. High-yield savings accounts have recently paid in the 4–5% range, while traditional big-bank savings accounts often pay under 0.5%. The projection assumes a steady rate and steady contributions — real life is lumpier, but the model is a good guide for setting a target and seeing whether your plan reaches it.
Interest earned on your interest. If you have $1,000 at 5%, you earn $50 the first year. The next year you earn 5% on $1,050 — $52.50 — and the amount keeps growing each cycle without you adding anything.
Match the rate to where the money will sit. High-yield savings accounts have recently paid 4–5% APY, regular savings accounts often pay under 0.5%, and long-term stock market investments have historically averaged around 7–10% per year before inflation — with much more risk and year-to-year swings.
A lump sum you already have starts compounding immediately, so deposit it now rather than spreading it out. But for ongoing saving, steady monthly contributions are what build the balance — consistency over years beats occasional large deposits for most savers.
A common target is 3–6 months of essential expenses. If that feels far away, start with $500–$1,000 to cover small emergencies, then build from there with automatic monthly transfers.