PlanMaker FV Function: Future Value, Savings, and Payment Timing
Use SoftMaker PlanMaker FV to forecast savings with fixed contributions, rates, and payment timing; includes verifiable examples and cautions.
Verification status: See the evidence and test scope described in this guide. How formula examples are checked
FV projects the future balance of regular payments at a constant interest rate. SoftMaker’s =FV(6.5%/12,10,-1000) example gives approximately 10,247.30 after ten monthly deposits.
Availability and version history
- Introduced: Documented in the PlanMaker 2016 manual; the original introduction release and date remain unknown.
- Availability: Documented in the 2026 English reference; no final supported-version endpoint is established.
- Scope: Versioned documentation does not establish identical behavior in every desktop, mobile or localized build.
- Checked: October 14, 2026, against the official FV reference, with independent arithmetic. No native PlanMaker test.
Official syntax, argument order, and defaults
=FV(Rate, NPer, Pmt [, PV] [, Type])
| Position | Argument | Required | Meaning and accepted input |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rate |
Yes | Numeric interest rate for one payment period. For 6% annual nominal interest with monthly payments, use 6%/12. |
| 2 | NPer |
Yes | Number of payment periods, e.g. 3*12 for 36 monthly periods. |
| 3 | Pmt |
Yes | Regular constant payment, entered as a signed number or numeric reference. Negative commonly represents money you deposit/pay out. |
| 4 | PV |
No | Current/present value. The documented default if omitted is 0. A current amount you invest/deposit is commonly entered negative. |
| 5 | Type |
No | 0 or omitted: payment at the end of each period; 1: payment at the beginning. |
The square brackets are documentation notation, not characters to type. To specify payment timing without an existing initial balance, enter the fourth argument explicitly: =FV(rate,nper,pmt,0,1). A percentage is a number: 6%/12 corresponds to 0.005. Never use annual periods with monthly rates. Both the order and defaults come from the official FV page.
The English help example uses commas as argument separators. Function names are localized in non-English user-interface languages according to SoftMaker’s own support article; the actual punctuation/decimal separator accepted by your configuration must be checked in the installed formula editor. A literal English function name or comma is not guaranteed in every locale. Formula entry basics require the leading =.
Copyable worksheet: monthly savings forecast
Open a blank worksheet and enter these values exactly:
| Cell | Field | Value to enter |
|---|---|---|
| A2 | Nominal annual interest | Label |
| B2 | Rate | 6% |
| A3 | Saving period in years | Label |
| B3 | Years | 3 |
| A4 | Monthly contribution | Label |
| B4 | Amount | 200 |
| A5 | Existing balance | Label |
| B5 | Amount | 5000 |
| A6 | Projected future balance | Label |
| B6 | FV formula | =FV(B2/12,B3*12,-B4,-B5) |
Expected value in B6: 13,850.62 (two decimals). The 36 month-end deposits total 7,200 and the starting balance is 5,000, so a final amount above 12,200 is reasonable with positive compounding. -B4 and -B5 represent cash paid into the investment; positive future value represents money received later. Format B6 as currency if desired; changing decimal display does not change its underlying value.
Check against SoftMaker’s published example: =FV(6.5%/12,10,-1000) gives an independently calculated 10,247.3044258…, displayed as 10,247.30. Here the rate is monthly, and the contribution is 1,000 each month for 10 months; it is not an annual ten-year projection.
Advanced examples and worked results
Pay at the start rather than the end
Compare two annual-payment plans at 10% interest over two years:
| Formula (2026 syntax) | Expected value | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
=FV(10%,2,-100) |
210.00 | 100 deposited at each year-end. |
=FV(10%,2,-100,0,1) |
231.00 | The same deposits occur at each year-start, earning one additional period each. |
For beginning-of-period payments Type=1, the initial present value remains PV=0 in this example. Changing payment timing while forgetting to pass a fourth placeholder is a common source of mistaken results. SoftMaker documents both Type meanings.
Grow an existing lump sum without extra deposits
=FV(10%,2,0,-1000)
Expected result: 1,210.00. Since Pmt=0, this is simply an initial 1,000 compounded twice at 10%. FV’s formula is not limited to loans with instalments.
No-interest savings and omitted present value
=FV(0,12,-100,-500)
=FV(0,12,-100)
Expected results: 1,700 with a 500 opening balance, and 1,200 without it. With no interest, the result is simply the opening amount plus the contributions. The independent zero-rate check avoids dividing by the rate.
How the independent calculation works
For rate r, periods n, regular payment Pmt, starting balance PV, and timing t (0 or 1), the expected balance can be cross-checked using:
FV = -( PV*(1+r)^n + Pmt*(1+r*t)*((1+r)^n-1)/r )
For r=0, evaluate the continuous zero-rate limit instead: FV = -(PV + Pmt*n). This is an independent annuity identity. Round to cents after calculation when comparing money values. This model assumes regular, equally spaced periods with a fixed rate—not daily compounding, irregular deposits, changing rates or fees.
Troubleshooting and limitations
| Symptom | Likely cause and action |
|---|---|
| Output is negative when you expected a growing balance | The initial deposit or regular contributions may have been entered as positive. Check which cash flow is money you pay versus receive; reverse signs only if the cash-flow perspective requires it. |
| Result seems much too high or too low | Rate and NPer use inconsistent units, for example annual rate with monthly count. Use annual nominal rate / 12 with years * 12 for monthly payments. |
| Type 1 has no visible effect | Pmt may be zero, or timing may be placed in the PV slot. Type belongs in the fifth argument. |
#NULL! |
The PlanMaker 2026 error-reference identifies invalid function syntax, e.g. missing parentheses or wrong argument count, as a possible cause. |
#VALUE! |
SoftMaker’s general error table says an inappropriate parameter type can cause this; make sure rate, period count, and amounts are numeric rather than text. |
#NUM! |
An invalid/out-of-range number can trigger this general error; the specific FV domain/edge behaviour has not been tested here. |
| Formula not recognized | Check the installed editor’s localized function name, argument separator and decimal mark. |
Limitations: FV as documented assumes a constant rate and constant equal-period payments. If rates change each period, consult SoftMaker’s separately documented FVSCHEDULE; its definition is distinct and it does not replace an FV plan with monthly contributions. FV is a mathematical cash-flow projection, not a forecast of real-world investment returns, fees or taxes.
Related guides and workbook portability
PMT solves for a constant payment. NPV discounts a sequence of periodic cash flows with different amounts. Keep rates, periods and cash-flow signs consistent when comparing results. Similar function names in another spreadsheet do not prove identical solver behavior, locale syntax or imported-file recalculation.