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CalcTortoise

Goal Planner

Find out what to save each month, or invest today, to reach a goal by a chosen date — in today’s money, with inflation included.

Written by the CalcTortoise editorial team · How we work

Start from an example

Example amounts only; change anything to match your own plans.

This amount is in
years
Assumed: 3% inflation. Change

$100,000 of today's money is $134,392 in 10 years. US prices rose 3% a year on average from 1928 to 2025. Use the rate where you live.

Money already put aside, if any. It counts towards the goal.

How you will invest

Tick one or more. Then enter the amounts you already plan, and pick the one that fills the gap.

  • Monthly investmentThe same amount every month into a fund or savings plan

    Monthly amount: worked out to reach the goal.

    Assumed, not predicted.

  • Lump sumOne amount invested today

    Assumed, not predicted.

Monthly investment needed each month

$660

Goal in 10 years
$134,392
Goal in today's money
$100,000
You put in
$89,200
Growth
$45,374

Illustration only, not investment, tax or legal advice. Returns are assumed, not predicted.

Your plan reaches $134,574 in 10 years: the goal of $134,392 with $182 to spare (from rounding the amount up).

What each part grows to
  • Monthly investment (fills the gap)
    $660 a month → $114,902
  • Lump sum
    $10,000 today → $19,672
Your plan against the goalYour planGoal

Year-by-year plan

YearInvestedReturnsValue
Year 1$17,920$1,007$18,927
Year 2$25,840$2,657$28,497
Year 3$33,760$4,998$38,758
Year 4$41,680$8,079$49,759
Year 5$49,600$11,952$61,552
Year 6$57,520$16,677$74,197
Year 7$65,440$22,313$87,753
Year 8$73,360$28,927$102,287
Year 9$81,280$36,588$117,868
Year 10$89,200$45,374$134,574

How to use this planner

  1. Choose an example goal or enter your own amount and number of years.
  2. Say whether the amount is in today’s money.
  3. Tick how you will save and choose which one fills the gap.

Frequently asked questions

How much should I save each month for a goal?

For $100,000 in today’s money in 10 years, with $10,000 invested now at 7% and 3% inflation, about $660 a month. With inflation the goal grows to $134,392.

Should the goal be in today’s money?

Usually, yes: it is easier to judge what something costs today. The planner then raises it by inflation to the year you need it.

Can I mix several ways of saving?

Yes. Tick more than one, enter the amounts you already plan, and choose the one that fills the gap.

Sources and method

Standard compound-interest formulas, tested against worked examples. Nothing here depends on outside data; the rates you type in are your own assumptions.

No outside data is used. The numbers you type in are the only inputs.

Page and formula last reviewed . How we calculate · Editorial policy · Corrections and change log

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Last updated 9 October 2026. For information only — not financial advice. Check the final figures with your lender or bank.