# Finance Calculator

> A time-value-of-money solver like a financial calculator: leave one of N, I/Y, PV, PMT or FV blank and it solves for it, with start or end payments.

Category: Finance · Applies to: Worldwide · Last updated: 2026-10-29
Interactive calculator: https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/finance-calculator

Every loan, savings plan and annuity links five numbers: periods, rate, present value, payment and future value. Enter any four and leave the fifth blank to solve for it.

Also called: TVM calculator, Time value of money calculator.

## Inputs
- N (number of periods) (default 360)
- I/Y (annual interest rate) (unit %; default 6)
- PV (present value) (default 100000)
- PMT (payment per period) (default )
- FV (future value) (default 0)
- Periods per year (options: 1 (yearly), 2, 4 (quarterly), 12 (monthly), 26, 52 (weekly), 365 (daily); default 12)
- Payments at (options: End of period, Beginning; default end)

## Results
- Solved value
- Solved for
- N
- I/Y
- PV
- PMT
- FV
- Effective annual rate

## Formula

```
PV(1+i)^N + PMT(1 + i·t)((1+i)^N − 1)/i + FV = 0, with i = I/Y ÷ periods per year and t = 1 for payments at the beginning, 0 at the end. I/Y is found numerically.
```

Where:
- N: number of periods
- i: interest rate per period
- PV, PMT, FV: cash flows: positive when received, negative when paid

## Worked example
1. i = 6% ÷ 12 = 0.5% per period; (1.005)^360 = 6.022575.
2. PMT = −(FV + PV × 6.022575) ÷ ((6.022575 − 1) ÷ 0.005) = −602,257.52 ÷ 1,004.515 = −599.55.

**Result:** Borrowing 100,000 (received, positive) at 6% over 360 months means paying 599.55 a month (negative).

## What the result means

Signs carry meaning: a loan is a positive PV (cash in) with negative payments (cash out); a savings plan is negative deposits that build a positive FV. If no answer exists, check that the signs make sense.

## Assumptions and limits
- Interest compounds once per period, at the same rate throughout.
- All payments are equal and evenly spaced.
- For irregular cash flows use an NPV or IRR method instead.

## Questions

### Why is my payment negative?

It is money you pay out. Financial calculators use a sign convention so that the five values balance to zero.

### Is this the same as a BA II Plus or HP 12C?

It uses the same equation, with periods per year acting like P/Y = C/Y on those calculators.

## Related calculators
- [Loan Calculator](https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/loan-calculator)
- [Investment Calculator](https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/investment-calculator)
- [Interest Rate Calculator](https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/interest-rate-calculator)
- [Compound Interest Calculator](https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/compound-interest-calculator)

_This calculator gives estimates for planning. It is not financial advice, and lenders’ actual terms, fees and rounding may differ._

Source: GM¹X CalcVerse — https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/finance-calculator