THE NUMBERS, EXPLAINED
How to use this calculator.
Assumes monthly compounding and deposits at month end. A target already met by the projected starting balance needs no further deposit.
Start with your inputs
Enter target (£), starting balance (£), annual rate (%), years. Keep amounts in the units shown on each field. The example is a starting point, not a recommended value.
| Input | Example value |
|---|---|
| Target (£) | 12000 |
| Starting balance (£) | 0 |
| Annual rate (%) | 0 |
| Years | 2 |
A worked example
With the example inputs above, monthly contribution (£) is 500. Change the inputs to explore your own scenario.
| Result | Example answer |
|---|---|
| Monthly contribution (£) | 500 |
How this is calculated
Monthly contribution (£)
Let q = c/1200 and n = 12d. If q = 0, contribution = max(0, (a−b)/n). Otherwise contribution = max(0, (a − b × (1+q)^n) / (((1+q)^n−1)/q)).
Symbols and units
- a
- Target (£)
- b
- Starting balance (£)
- c
- Annual rate (%)
- d
- Years
Use the units shown. A list keeps the order in which you enter its values. The symbol ^ means “raised to the power of”.
Assumptions and limits
Assumes monthly compounding and deposits at month end. A target already met by the projected starting balance needs no further deposit.
Calculations use the values you enter. Blank or invalid inputs show an error instead of silently substituting zero. Results are displayed to useful precision; calculations retain the underlying numeric precision.
Questions about this tool
What does the result tell me?
Monthly contribution (£). The result applies to the method and inputs described above. Check the units and assumptions before using it in a decision.
Why might another calculator differ?
Differences in units, rounding, timing or model definitions can produce different answers. Compare the input definitions and the method, rather than only the final number. For this tool: Assumes monthly compounding and deposits at month end. A target already met by the projected starting balance needs no further deposit.
Are my inputs stored or sent to AI?
Calculations on this page happen in your browser. The separate AI question finder sends its submitted conversation to OpenAI; these calculator fields are not sent. Favourites and recent tool names are stored locally. A shared link contains the inputs you choose to include.
Further reading
Investor.gov: financial planning tools ↗
Background reading; this does not imply endorsement or independent review of SumFizz.
Review status
Software example and browser checks are recorded in our quality report. No external expert review is claimed. Created with coding assistance; calculations run as ordinary browser code.
Read the quality report →