Savings Calculator
See how consistent saving adds up.
Estimate future savings based on a starting balance, monthly deposits, and a steady interest rate.
Your inputs
Adjust the assumptions to match your current savings plan.
How this savings calculator works
The Dividend Vision savings calculator estimates the future value of a high-yield savings account, money market fund, CD ladder, or any other interest-bearing cash account. We compound interest monthly and add your contribution at the end of each month, so the result represents what you’d see if your bank pays interest monthly — which is the standard for most online savings products.
The result splits your final balance into total contributions and interest earned so you can see how much of the growth came from the bank versus your own deposits.
How to use it
- Starting balance. What’s already in the account today.
- Monthly contribution. Set this to the dollar amount you can autopay without thinking about it — consistency is the whole game with cash savings.
- Annual interest rate. Use the APY (annual percentage yield) advertised by your bank. High-yield savings accounts in 2025–2026 have ranged roughly from 3.5% to 5%, while CDs and Treasury money market funds have at times paid more.
- Time horizon. How long the money will stay parked. Cash savings is best suited to horizons under five years; for longer goals, an investment calculator is usually a better tool.
Common questions
Should I use a savings account or income ETFs? Cash is for short-term goals and emergency funds — it’s FDIC-insured up to limits and never drops in nominal value. Income ETFs target higher distributions but trade on the open market and can lose value. See SEC vs. distribution yield for a deeper read on how income-fund yields are quoted.
Does it account for taxes? No — interest from a regular savings account is taxed as ordinary income at the federal and (often) state level. Treasury money market funds are exempt from state income tax in many places, which can make their after-tax yield more competitive than the headline number suggests.
Why is my real return lower than what the calculator shows? Inflation. If your savings account pays 4% and inflation runs 3%, your real (purchasing-power) return is closer to 1%. The calculator shows nominal balances, not inflation-adjusted ones.
Related Dividend Vision tools
- Investment calculator — for long-horizon equity and ETF compounding.
- DRIP calculator — model dividend reinvestment over time.
- Portfolio Vision dashboard — build a portfolio and see projected monthly income.
- Monthly-income ETFs — if your goal is a cash-flow stream rather than a savings nest egg.