Contact
12 programs
Explore the site

PlanMaker FVSCHEDULE Function: Compound Changing Interest Rates

Financial Intermediate SoftMaker PlanMaker 2026 / NX

Calculate a lump sum's future value across changing interest rates with SoftMaker PlanMaker FVSCHEDULE, with step-by-step examples and Excel compatibility notes.

Verification status: Official documentation referenced; example outcomes independently reasoned or arithmetically checked where stated. Not executed in SoftMaker PlanMaker 2026 / NX. How formula examples are checked

Quick answer: To grow a single initial amount of 10,000 using annual rates of 5%, 5.2%, 5.5%, and 5.9%, place the percentages in A1:A4 and enter:

=FVSCHEDULE(10000,A1:A4)

Expected: 12,341.09. This value is explicitly printed in SoftMaker’s PlanMaker 2026 reference, and independently matches 10000 × 1.05 × 1.052 × 1.055 × 1.059 = 12341.08827. The currency symbol is only formatting: the function returns a number, not a currency unit. Official PlanMaker 2026 FVSCHEDULE.

Verification status: The exact two-argument syntax, variable-rate purpose and vendor example have been checked against PlanMaker 2026 and 2024 English documentation. Additional example numbers below were calculated independently with high-precision decimal arithmetic; they are not observations from PlanMaker or Excel. Native PlanMaker executions: 0. Excel executions: 0. Native error behaviour, exact array-input handling across locales, edition-specific results remain unverified.

What does FVSCHEDULE do?

FVSCHEDULE calculates what one starting balance will be worth after successive compounding periods with different rates. It is useful for scenario planning when rates are expected to vary each year or month—for example, a four-year savings scenario or a loan principal accruing different periodic rates. The periods must match the periods represented by the rates; the function itself does not take calendar dates. SoftMaker explicitly defines the rate list in its actual period order. SoftMaker 2026 function definition.

This differs from FV, which models a constant periodic rate and can include repeated contributions. FVSCHEDULE has no payment argument. For recurring deposits or withdrawals, a single call cannot model those cash flows. SoftMaker FVSCHEDULE; SoftMaker FV.

Exact official syntax, arguments and defaults

=FVSCHEDULE(PV,Rates)
Position Argument Data kind Required? Official meaning and defaults
1 PV Initial numeric amount or numeric cell reference Yes The present value (initial principal). No optional/default value is documented.
2 Rates Cell range or array of periodic interest rates Yes Rates applied in sequence, first period through last. No optional/default value is documented.

The official 2026 and 2024 English references both document the same two arguments, order and vendor sample. The help page prints FVSCHEDULE(10000,{5%, 5.2%, 5.5%, 5.9%}) as an alternate way to pass a literal rate array. The braces represent an actual array constant; unlike optional-argument brackets, they are part of the syntax of that vendor example. 2026 entry; 2024 entry.

Punctuation and locale: The English references use commas as argument and array-element separators, but users must respect the formula separators, decimal mark and localized function name of their installed language settings. PlanMaker’s 2026 help explicitly refers to regional decimal separators, while SoftMaker says non-English UI languages use localized function names. The range-reference example is the preferred reproducible teaching method because array punctuation needs local confirmation. PlanMaker 2026 data entry; SoftMaker language support.

Tutorial 1: reproduce the official four-year example

Open a blank PlanMaker worksheet. Enter these numeric percentages and references; don’t type percent signs as text inside quoted strings:

Cell Enter Meaning
A1 5% Year 1 interest rate
A2 5.2% Year 2 interest rate
A3 5.5% Year 3 interest rate
A4 5.9% Year 4 interest rate
C1 10000 Starting balance
C2 =FVSCHEDULE(C1,A1:A4) Final balance after four periods

Documented and independently confirmed mathematical expectation: C2 is 12,341.09 when displayed to two decimals. Set the cell to a number/currency format with two decimal places; display formatting does not change its underlying value. The same result follows from the literal-formula version =FVSCHEDULE(10000,A1:A4). Vendor’s exact worksheet example; formatting and percentage entry.

The calculation can be audited period by period using ordinary multiplication:

Period Rate Independent opening balance Independent closing balance
1 5.0% 10,000.00 10,500.00
2 5.2% 10,500.00 11,046.00
3 5.5% 11,046.00 11,653.53
4 5.9% 11,653.53 12,341.09

Each closing balance equals its opening balance times (1 + that period's rate). Use full numeric precision between periods, rounding only for display. The final unrounded model number is 12341.08827. This arithmetic demonstrates the documented purpose; it is not evidence that the vendor internally uses a particular algorithm. Official definition and sample.

Check the intermediate math in PlanMaker

In D1 type =C1*(1+A1), in D2 type =D1*(1+A2), D3 =D2*(1+A3), and D4 =D3*(1+A4). All formulas start with = as the official formula guide requires. The expected result of D4 is the same as C2. This makes an independently checkable worksheet audit without relying on FVSCHEDULE as its own proof. PlanMaker formula basics.

Tutorial 2: change one period’s rate and compare scenarios

Keep C1 at 10000. Change A2 from 5.2% to 0%; PlanMaker should then display the recalculated value for the new schedule. The independent expected result is:

10000 × 1.05 × 1.00 × 1.055 × 1.059 = 11731.0725

Expected formatted value: 11,731.07. A zero-rate period leaves the balance unchanged during that period; it does not remove the period or turn compounding off in subsequent periods. This example follows the arithmetic interpretation of the documented rate sequence; it has not been natively executed. Vendor’s rate-list definition.

To avoid changing the original official example, put the alternative four rates in B1:B4 (5%, 0%, 5.5%, 5.9%) and compare:

=FVSCHEDULE($C$1,A1:A4)
=FVSCHEDULE($C$1,B1:B4)

Expected results are 12,341.09 and 11,731.07 respectively. The $C$1 absolute reference keeps the initial principal fixed when copying formulas. Check that cells contain genuine percentage numbers, not text like '5%'.

Advanced example: a loss followed by recovery

Set B6=1000, A6=10%, A7=-10%, then enter:

=FVSCHEDULE(B6,A6:A7)

Independent expected value: 990.00, calculated as 1000 × 1.10 × 0.90. A 10% gain followed by a 10% decline does not restore the starting balance because the second percentage is applied to a larger base. Negative rates are used here as a mathematical model, not a claim that every PlanMaker build/edition has been observed accepting every negative-rate input. Confirm negative-rate handling in your installed application before relying on it. Documented variable-rate concept.

A second independent stress case illustrates a rate that is zero in the middle. For initial principal 5000 and successive rates 8%, 0%, 4%, a mathematical reference model yields 5,616.00. Compare with =FVSCHEDULE(5000,A10:A12) after entering those three percentages in A10:A12. Native PlanMaker output still needs verification.

Advanced example: monthly instead of yearly periods

If each entry in Rates represents one month, supply a monthly rate in each cell. For example, monthly rates of 1%, 0.5% and 0.75% applied to a starting balance of 2,000 have the independently calculated ending value 2,045.33 (rounded to cents). Enter these three rates in A15:A17, 2000 in B15, and =FVSCHEDULE(B15,A15:A17) in B16. No extra /12 is needed when the supplied percentages are already monthly rates. If you start from an annual nominal rate instead, converting it to monthly rates requires an explicitly chosen interest-rate convention; annual/12 is not automatically correct for every effective annual rate. Rates-per-period ordering in SoftMaker.

The mathematical formula for the single-lump-sum scenario is:

Expected future balance = PV × (1 + r1) × (1 + r2) × ... × (1 + rn)

This formula is a transparent independent calculation, not a claim about the function’s internal implementation. Keep units consistent: four annual rates mean four years; 12 monthly rates mean 12 months. Dates, fees, contributions, taxation and inflation are not inputs to this two-argument function. Definition and documented arguments.

Limits, errors and troubleshooting

Symptom or question What to check / what is actually known
The result is unexpectedly high A cell may contain 5 (500%) rather than 5% (0.05). SoftMaker documents percentage entry; verify numeric formatting and underlying values.
The result is unchanged after editing an interest cell Check that Rates refers to the edited range, not a different range, and that the input is numeric rather than text. Recalculate if needed.
You want to model extra deposits every month The official syntax has only PV and Rates; use an explicit balance roll-forward calculation for deposits/withdrawals or the documented FV when its fixed-rate, regular-payment assumptions apply.
Decimal points, commas or array literals fail Respect computer regional settings, localized function names, and the application’s formula editor. The English example isn’t a universal locale promise.
A blank rate cell or text is present PlanMaker’s precise coercion and error output are not specified in the reviewed FVSCHEDULE entry. Replace blanks/text with explicit numeric rates to make the intended schedule explicit. Excel’s blank/text rules are documented separately below and must not be projected onto PlanMaker.
A rate is less than -100% or the range is empty The official FVSCHEDULE reference does not document all boundary/domain/error rules; no native PlanMaker test was performed. Do not invent a PlanMaker error code or silently assume Excel behaviour.
An expected value differs by a cent Compare full-precision inputs and avoid rounding intermediate balances; check displayed currency/percentage precision. Native rounding and binary-float differences are not tested.
You need an exact date-based annualized return This function uses a sequence of periodic rates without a date argument; it is not a replacement for an irregular-cash-flow rate or return method.

Documentation inconsistency to be aware of

SoftMaker’s 2026 FVSCHEDULE entry correctly describes a series of variable compound rates, yet a separate sentence refers to a fixed interest rate. The listed Rates argument and the vendor’s four different example rates support the variable-rate interpretation. We treat the fixed-rate sentence as an unresolved wording inconsistency, not an additional documented limitation. The same wording appears in the 2024 entry. SoftMaker 2026; SoftMaker 2024.

FVSCHEDULE versus FV and Microsoft Excel

Question PlanMaker 2026 official documentation Excel official documentation Verification conclusion
Function name FVSCHEDULE FVSCHEDULE Same English name in both vendors’ current references.
Required arguments PV, Rates principal, schedule Two positional arguments with the same conceptual roles, though vendor names differ.
Rate input Cell range or array Array/range of rates Both describe a sequence; exact localized array syntax must be checked independently.
No regular-payment parameter Yes Yes Not equivalent to FV with recurring contributions.
Blank cells in schedule Not established by inspected SoftMaker function entry Microsoft documents blanks as zeros Do not assert PlanMaker parity.
Text / invalid-type error No PlanMaker-specific FVSCHEDULE error code established Microsoft documents #VALUE! for nonnumeric values Excel-only error evidence.
Exact numerical equivalence on imported workbook Not natively checked Not natively checked in this research Similar documentation does not prove identical native behaviour.

Official PlanMaker 2026 FVSCHEDULE; official Excel FVSCHEDULE; PlanMaker FV.

Version and platform scope (source check 2026-10-12): SoftMaker publishes the 2026/NX English entry with the syntax above; the inspected 2024 entry is identical for this function. The latest SoftMaker Office 2026/NX service-pack page inspected lists revision 1504 (2026-09-28), but doesn’t document a specific FVSCHEDULE change. Desktop editions are offered for Windows, macOS and Linux; this research did not execute FVSCHEDULE on any platform, distinguish subscription vs perpetual entitlements, or validate mobile behaviour. SoftMaker release history; SoftMaker Office 2026 overview. Do not infer support for an untested edition merely from the shared help page.

Checked official references (2026-10-12, UTC)