About the Finance Calculator (TVM)
This finance calculator works like the time value of money keys on a BA II Plus or HP 12C. Choose which value to solve for: the number of periods, the yearly interest rate, the present value, the payment or the future value. Enter the other four, set how many periods there are in a year and whether payments come at the start or end of each period, and the answer appears instantly. It handles loans, savings plans, annuities and investment questions with the same five numbers.
Updated October 2026
How to use the Finance Calculator (TVM)
- 1Pick the value you want to solve for.
- 2Enter the other values. Money you receive is positive; money you pay out is negative.
- 3Choose the number of periods per year, such as 12 for monthly.
- 4Choose whether payments are at the end or the start of each period.
- 5Read the answer and the totals underneath.
The one equation behind it
Every time value of money question comes down to one balance: the present value grown at the interest rate, plus the payments grown to the end, plus the future value, must add up to zero. Solving for any one value means finding the number that makes the balance work. The rate has no direct formula, so the calculator searches for it numerically to many decimal places.
Worked examples
Each of these uses 12 periods per year unless noted.
- Car loan: N 60, I/Y 7, PV 25,000, FV 0 → PMT −495.03
- Savings goal: N 120, I/Y 5, PV 0, PMT −300 → FV 46,585
- Lump sum: N 10, I/Y 5, PV −1,000, PMT 0 (1 per year) → FV 1,628.89
- Rate of a loan: N 360, PV 200,000, PMT −1,199.10, FV 0 → I/Y 6%
Choosing the periods per year
Match the periods to the payments. A mortgage paid monthly uses 12; a bond paying coupons twice a year uses 2; a weekly savings plan uses 52. The interest rate is always entered as a yearly nominal rate, and the calculator divides it by the periods per year.
Common mistakes
Entering N in years when the payments are monthly gives a wildly wrong answer, so multiply years by periods per year. Forgetting a minus sign makes the rate impossible to find. Leaving a balloon payment out of FV understates the payment of a loan that isn't fully repaid.
Phone and computer
The fields hide the value you are solving for, so the screen stays tidy on a phone. On a computer the answer sits next to the inputs. Time value of money questions often have more than one answer path. Use the Loan Calculator for payments, the Future Value Calculator for growth, and the Annuity Calculator for steady deposits or withdrawals.
Features
- Solves for N, I/Y, PV, PMT or FV
- Monthly, quarterly, weekly or daily periods
- Payments at the start or end of each period
- Cash-flow signs like a real financial calculator
- Total payments and interest shown
- Runs in your browser
Frequently asked questions
What do N, I/Y, PV, PMT and FV mean?
N is the number of periods, I/Y the yearly interest rate, PV the present value (money now), PMT the payment each period, and FV the future value (money at the end).
Why do some numbers have to be negative?
Like a real financial calculator, money going out of your pocket is negative and money coming in is positive. A $200,000 loan you receive is +200,000 and the monthly payments you make are negative.
How do I find a mortgage payment?
Solve for PMT with N = 360, I/Y = 6, PV = 200,000 and FV = 0 at 12 periods per year. The answer is −1,199.10, a monthly payment of $1,199.10.
How do I find how long it takes to reach a goal?
Solve for N. For example, PV = −10,000, PMT = −500, FV = 100,000, I/Y = 7 and 12 periods per year gives the number of months needed.
What is the difference between end and start of period?
Most loans are paid at the end of each period. Rent, leases and some savings plans are paid at the start, which earns one extra period of interest.
Why does solving for the rate say the values never balance?
Usually because all the money flows have the same sign. At least one value must be positive and one negative for a rate to exist.