Savings Calculator

Savings Interest Calculator

Using a savings calculator allows you to see how fast your money will grow when put in an interest-earning account. It can help you compare and contrast your potential savings for different scenarios. You can easily change the interest rates, deposits, frequency of interest compounding and the number of years you have to save. This will help you make a more informed decision on which savings account you might want to open. It can also help you determine how much money to deposit, whether to make monthly deposits and more. You can set a specific financial goal and see how much you need to contribute each month to reach it or you can set how much money you are able to afford to contribute each month and then see how long it will take you to get there.

Whether you are building up an emergency fund or saving for a specific goal, a savings calculator can help you see what you need to do in order to get there.

A financial advisor can help you incorporate your savings into your financial plan. To find a financial advisor who serves your area, try SmartAsset's free online matching tool.

Starting Savings Balance: The Initial Deposit

Your starting savings balance is the initial, or principal, amount you deposit into your account. You’ll enter this number into the calculator as your starting point. You can deposit as much or as little as you want into the calculator but beware that some savings accounts have minimum deposit requirements. Making a larger deposit does allow your money to grow more than, say, a $50 original deposit.

Additional Contributions: Ongoing Savings

Although not required, making additional contributions into your savings account will help your savings grow faster. Not only are you setting aside more money, but you also add to the principal that accrues interest. Entering your recurring monthly deposits into the savings calculator will give you a look at how these deposits can boost your returns.

Annual Interest Rate and Compounding Period: Account Specifics

Of course a big part of your savings growth is your specific account’s annual interest rate (APR). You’ll enter this number into the calculator to see the rate at which your initial deposit and any other potential contributions grow. You can find an account’s rate on SmartAsset's savings account comparison page.

You will also have to specify whether the account compounds interest daily, monthly, quarterly, semiannually or annually. Compound interest essentially means that your interest earns interest. The more often interest is compounded, the more interest you’ll earn. This is what can really add to your money’s growth over time.

It’s important to know that interest rates can vary quite a bit by banking institution. Interest rates in general have been rising, but you won’t find high savings interest rates at every financial institution. In fact, many big banks like Chase and Bank of America have relatively low rates on their savings accounts. They may offer other features that make them appealing for you like easy access to ATMs and physical branch locations.

To find the best rates in the industry, it can help to look at online banks and credit unions. Online banks tend to offer much better rates due to the lack of physical locations and the costs that come with maintaining them. Credit unions, while they do have physical locations, often have fewer locations than a big bank, cutting back on those costs. Plus, a credit union serves only its members (customers) without making a profit for the company itself. This allows credit unions to take the money coming in and turn it around as favorable interest rates.

It’s a good idea to check to see whether there are ways you can increase an account’s interest rates. Often you can do this by having a higher account balance. You may also be able to unlock a higher interest rate by linking a checking account from the same institution to your savings account.

Years to Save: Meeting Your Financial Goals

Savings accounts can be used as a financial safety net. This is often what financial experts mean when they encourage people to have an emergency fund. Savings accounts can also be used to save toward tangible goals, like a home down payment, a car or a vacation. In that case, you can set a time limit to your savings. For example, if you have five years to save for a new home, you can enter five years into the calculator. This sets a time limit to your savings on the savings calculator and allows you to see how much you will have to contribute regularly to meet your goal.

How Much Money Should I Save?

How much you should save depends greatly on your financial situation and goals. For example, you will likely need to save more money for a down payment than you would for a vacation. This is where a simple savings calculator like this one can come in handy. It helps you better plan toward your specific goals and see how the different choices you make can affect when and how you get there. For example, try out a few different scenarios where you save in accounts that have different interest rates. Then see how the size of your initial deposit impacts your money’s growth. You can also get a detailed view of how the frequency and size of your additional contributions play a part in meeting your goals. Your specific financial situation will ultimately determine how much you are able to set aside in your savings account.

How to Maximize Savings

No matter your savings goals, there are ways you can work to maximize your savings. For starters, you can find the savings account with the highest interest rate. That will guarantee that your money, no matter how much you put in, will grow faster than other, lower-rate accounts. It’s also important to know that a number of savings accounts earn at higher rates on higher account balances.

Then once you’ve chosen the best rate, you can determine how much you can afford to place into the savings account. While a larger deposit will boost your savings from the start, you may not want to deposit all the funds you have available. You may prefer to see how much you can comfortably put into the account to start with and then add more money over time.

You can also maximize your savings by setting up monthly transfers to your savings account. These transfers don’t have to be huge amounts, but they help to boost your savings along with your initial deposit so there’s more money to earn interest. You can set up an automatic deposit directly from your paycheck or from your checking account. Either way these additional contributions will help you meet your financial goals quicker.