FREE TOOLS / Everyday money

Savings goal

Name the goal and the date. Get the exact monthly figure that gets you there.

Your estimate

Estimated monthly saving needed

$652.03

Save at the end of each month for 3 years. The estimate uses an unrounded payment; a bank payment rounded to cents may differ slightly.

Target balance: $30,000.00
Projected final balance: $30,000.00
Additional contributions: $23,473.09

Illustrative amounts in NZD. Engine-provided chart points may be rounded to whole dollars; headline figures use the engine’s summary precision.

View all chart values

Year 0: $5,000.00
Year 1: $13,084.93
Year 2: $21,415.77
Year 3: $30,000.00

What this estimate assumes

Equal contributions arrive at month end. The assumed nominal annual return is divided by 12 and compounded monthly.
The target is a future NZD amount, not adjusted for inflation. Enter a return already net of tax and fees.
A zero-year horizon shows the amount needed today instead of an impossible monthly saving schedule.

How to read this tool, in plain English

For information only, not financial advice. These simplified estimates do not consider your full circumstances. Assumed rates are not forecasts or guaranteed returns. Talk to a financial adviser before making financial decisions.

HOW TO READ THIS TOOL

Name the goal. Get the number.

One monthly figure

Enter the target, what you have and how long you have. The result is the monthly saving that gets there under the return you assume.

See it build

The chart shows your balance at the end of each year, from the savings you have today to the target at the end.

Honest about the return

The return is entered after tax and fees. Set it to 0% to see what saving alone does, without relying on any return at all.

How the model works

Equal contributions arrive at the end of each month and earn the assumed annual return divided by twelve, compounded monthly. The target is a future dollar amount and is not adjusted for inflation, so a goal that is really “a car in three years” may cost more by the time you get there.

What it leaves out

Tax and fees are not applied, so enter a return that already allows for them. Irregular deposits, withdrawals along the way and changes in the return are not modelled. If you set the time to zero, the tool shows the shortfall today rather than an impossible monthly amount.

The assumptions, in full

Equal contributions arrive at month end. The assumed nominal annual return is divided by 12 and compounded monthly.
The target is a future NZD amount, not adjusted for inflation. Enter a return already net of tax and fees.
A zero-year horizon shows the amount needed today instead of an impossible monthly saving schedule.

A FEW GOOD QUESTIONS

Before you
trust the number.

An estimate is only as good as the question behind it. These are the ones people ask most about this tool.

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Why does the monthly saving change so much when I change the return?

Over short periods it barely changes. Over long ones the return does a lot of the work. If a small change in return swings the answer a long way, the plan is leaning on the market. Test it at 0% to see what you would need to save without any help.

Should I use today’s price for the target?

Only if the goal is a fixed dollar amount. If it is a purchase, allow for prices rising. The inflation tool shows what today’s cost could be in a few years’ time.

What return should I enter?

A rate that is realistic for where the money will sit, net of tax and fees. Savings accounts, term deposits and investment funds all behave differently, and higher returns come with the chance of losses. This tool assumes a constant return, which real investments do not deliver.

YOUR MONEY. YOUR CALL.

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Start knowing.

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