Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Months to reach the goal
33
Years to reach the goal
3
Total you deposit
$19,800
Interest earned along the way
$1,659
Balance when you get there
$25,459
Contribution in the final month
$600
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One click, a permanent link with your numbers baked in.
Got your number — what next?
Pick one, it takes 20 secondsHow to use this
- 1Enter savings target ($).
- 2Enter current balance ($).
- 3Enter monthly contribution ($/mo).
- 4Enter account apy (%).
- 5Enter annual increase in contribution (%).
- 6Read your months to reach the goal on the right — it updates as you type.
- 7Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Most savings tools ask how much to save per month to hit a date. This one flips it: given what you can actually put aside, when do you get there? That framing is more useful when the contribution is fixed by your budget rather than by ambition. The calculator compounds your starting balance and monthly deposits at the account's APY, returns the number of months to the target, and shows how much of the total came from interest rather than deposits — which is the figure that makes the case for moving cash out of a zero-interest checking account.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Savings target: 25000 $
- Current balance: 4000 $
- Monthly contribution: 600 $/mo
- Account APY: 4.25 %
- Annual increase in contribution: 0 %
Results
- Months to reach the goal: 33
- Years to reach the goal: 2.75
- Total you deposit: $19,800.00
- Interest earned along the way: $1,659.16
- Balance when you get there: $25,459.16
- Contribution in the final month: $600.00
What each field means
Inputs
- Savings target ($)
- The savings target used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 25000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Current balance ($)
- The current balance used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 4000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Monthly contribution ($/mo)
- The monthly contribution used in the calculation, measured in $/mo. Starts at 600 $/mo so you have a working example on load.
- Account APY (%)
- The account apy used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 4.25 % so you have a working example on load.
- Annual increase in contribution (%)
- The annual increase in contribution used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 0 % so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Months to reach the goal
- Returned as a whole number and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Years to reach the goal
- Returned as a whole number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total you deposit
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Interest earned along the way
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Balance when you get there
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Contribution in the final month
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Why does zero months show up?
It means the target is not reached inside 100 years at these inputs — typically a zero contribution with a balance below target. Add a monthly amount or lower the target.
Is APY the right rate to use?
Yes for savings accounts, because APY already reflects compounding. If you only have a nominal rate, the difference is minor at current levels, but APY is the number banks are required to publish and the one to compare across institutions.
Should I model taxes on the interest?
In a taxable account, interest is ordinary income, so a rough adjustment is to multiply the APY by (1 − your marginal rate). In tax-advantaged accounts, use the full APY. At small balances the difference barely moves the date; at large ones it matters.
Does the annual increase make much difference?
More than most people expect over long horizons — a 3% yearly bump roughly tracks pay rises and can pull a ten-year goal in by a year or more, because each increase compounds for the remaining term.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
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Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Savings Goal Date Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/savings-goal-date
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/savings-goal-date" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Savings Goal Date Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Savings Goal Date Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/savings-goal-date) (2026).