Not only does the FV formula streamline the entire calculation progress, but it also guarantees accurate results. Let\u2019s explore in more detail what the FV formula is and how you can use it effectively in Google Sheets.<\/p>\n
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What is the FV formula in Google Sheets?<\/h2>\n
The FV formula stands for \u2018Future Value\u2019. It\u2019s usually used to calculate the future value of any investments with compound interest.<\/p>\n
In order to use the FV formula, you need to have periodic payments (these can be annual, quarterly, weekly, etc.), and a fixed interest rate. You can also use the FV formula to calculate lump sums with compound interest too.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s take a look at the syntax of the FV formula and its parameters.<\/p>\n
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Syntax<\/h3>\n
The FV formula uses the following syntax to calculate your future value:[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”spreadsheet-function” _builder_version=”4.16″ border_width_left=”4px” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]=FV(rate, number_of_periods, payment_amount, [present_value], [end_or_beginning])[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
- \n
- rate:<\/b> the fixed amount of interest over time.
\nInterest rates are always annual. If you want to calculate the interest rate for more frequent payments (quarterly or monthly), make sure to divide the rate accordingly, i.e. for a monthly interest rate, divide by 12.<\/li>\n- number_of_periods:<\/b> the number of periodic payments that you are going to make<\/li>\n
- payment_amount:<\/b> the constant amount of money that you pay for each period.<\/li>\n
This will be the type of payment (weekly (52), monthly (12), quarterly (4) multiplied by the length of time, i.e. monthly payment over 3 years: 12*3 = 36 periods.<\/p>\n
- [present_value]:<\/b> [OPTIONAL \u2013 0 by default] the current value of the investment.<\/li>\n
- [end_or_beginning]:<\/b> [OPTIONAL \u2013 0 by default] a value of 0 indicates that you are making the payments at the end of each period. A value of 1 specifies that we are making payments at the beginning of each payment period.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Connections T – Automate between spreadsheets – Horizontal” module_class=”sheetgo-post-no-shadow-img md2-contained-button-light vertical-banner-container” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#f2f7ff” max_width=”700px” module_alignment=”center” max_height=”300px” custom_margin=”20px|0px|20px|0px|true|true” custom_padding=”25px|25px|25px|25px|true|true” sticky_limit_bottom=”section” border_radii=”on|20px|20px|20px|20px” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”#d9e7ff” saved_tabs=”all” global_colors_info=”{}” global_module=”255443″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
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How to use the FV formula in Google Sheets<\/h3>\n
Now that you understand what the FV formula is and how it works, let\u2019s go ahead and apply it to some real-life examples.[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
1. Use the FV formula to calculate the future value of an investment<\/h4>\n
Let\u2019s say I want to add $5,000 at the beginning of every month into my business savings account over the course of a year. The annual interest rate of my account is 3%.<\/p>\n
The screenshot below shows the values of each aspect that we need to substitute into the FV formula.[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/FV-\u2013-1.png” alt=”FV formula 0″ title_text=”FV \u2013 1″ align=”center” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
Please note:<\/b> As I am paying monthly, the annual interest rate needs to be divided by 12. As I am paying monthly over one year, the number of payments is 12.<\/p>\n
To calculate the future value of my total investment after a year, I\u2019d input the following formula:<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”spreadsheet-function” _builder_version=”4.16″ border_width_left=”4px” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]=FV(0.25%,12,-5000,0,0)[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/FV-\u2013-2.png” alt=”FV formula 1″ title_text=”FV \u2013 2″ align=”center” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]As you can see, my total investment over 12 months would be a total of $60,983.99. You can either input the numbers directly into the cell, or you can reference the cells containing each value within the formula.[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
2. Use the FV formula to calculate the future value of a lump-sum payment<\/h4>\n
You can also calculate the future value of a one-time investment payment over a period of time.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s say I have inherited $120,000 that I want to keep in a savings account over the next 10 years. The annual interest rate is 1%.[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/FV-\u2013-3.png” alt=”FV formula 2″ title_text=”FV \u2013 3″ align=”center” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]Please note:<\/b> As this is a lump sum going into the savings account, it\u2019s important to remember that the [present_value] is negative.<\/p>\n
To calculate the future value of this lump-sum, I\u2019d input the following formula:[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”spreadsheet-function” _builder_version=”4.16″ border_width_left=”4px” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
=FV(0.01, 10, 0,-120000, 0)<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/fv-formula-in-google-sheets.webp” alt=”FV formula – 10 year experience” title_text=”fv-formula-in-google-sheets” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.27.3″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.3″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
As you can see, I will end up with $132,554.64 at the end of 10 years!<\/p>\n
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3. Use the FV formula to calculate loan payback<\/h4>\n
You can also use the FV formula to calculate whether you\u2019ll be able to pay off a loan in a certain amount of time. You can do this by calculating whether an investment of a certain amount over a certain period of time would leave you with a positive balance. If the value is positive, you will successfully pay back the loan in time. If the final value is negative, you will need to increase the value of your payments or the number of payment periods.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s say I need to pay back a business loan of $100,000. I want to pay it back over 3 years, paying back $12,000 at the end of each quarter. The annual interest rate of the loan is 5%.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/FV-\u2013-5.png” alt=”FV formula 4″ title_text=”FV \u2013 5″ align=”center” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]Please note:<\/b> As I am paying back at the end of each quarter, I need to divide the annual interest rate by 4, which gives me 1.25%. As I\u2019ll be paying back the loan over 3 years, the payment period is 12 (4 quarters multiplied by 3 years).<\/p>\n
To calculate whether I can pay of the loan in 3 years, I\u2019d input the following formula:[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”spreadsheet-function” _builder_version=”4.16″ border_width_left=”4px” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]=FV(1.25%,12,-9000,100,000,0)[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/FV-\u2013-6.png” alt=”FV formula 5″ title_text=”FV \u2013 6″ align=”center” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]As you can see, the value returned is negative, meaning that I won\u2019t be able to pay back the loan over the course of 3 years. However, if I swap my payments to the beginning of the month, the FV formula shows that I can pay off the loan over 3 years – see below.[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/FV-\u2013-7.png” alt=”FV formula 6″ title_text=”FV \u2013 7″ align=”center” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
FV function in Google Sheets<\/h3>\n
And there you have it! The FV formula is the most accurate and efficient function to use when calculating the future value of any investment or to help calculate whether you can pay back a loan. It\u2019s important to remember that, in order for the FV formula to work, you must have payments that are at even intervals. Furthermore, you must also adapt the interest rate to the payment frequency.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re interested in using more finance-related formulas in Google Sheets, why not take a look at How to use the IRR formula in Google Sheets<\/a>? Alternatively, check out some related blog posts below![\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ background_color=”#f9f9ff” custom_margin=”40px||40px||false|false” custom_padding=”15px|25px|15px|25px|true|true” border_width_left=”3px” border_color_left=”#808e95″ saved_tabs=”all” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
Editor\u2019s note<\/strong>: This is a revised version of a previous post that has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.<\/em><\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
If you\u2019re looking to calculate the value of your investments in the future, then the FV formula in Google Sheets is the function you need. The FV formula can calculate the future value of your investments for periodic payments with fixed interest rates. For example, if you add a monthly figure to your business savings […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":39309,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"We usually split our incomes into savings, investments, and spendings. So, we would be interested to know how much value our current investments stand for, at a future point in time. The FV<\/a> formula in Google Sheets is built just for this purpose. Taking into account, the periodic payment amount and the interest rate that doesn\u2019t change over time, it arrives at the future value of an investment.\n
Syntax<\/h3>\nFV(rate, number_of_periods, payment_amount, [present_value], [end_or_beginning])<\/strong>\n
- \n \t
- rate<\/strong> - is the rate of interest that doesn\u2019t change over a time.<\/li>\n \t
- number_of_periods<\/strong> - is the number of periodic payments that we are going to make.<\/li>\n \t
- payment_amount<\/strong> - is the constant amount of money that we pay for each period.<\/li>\n \t
- present_value<\/strong> - [ OPTIONAL - 0 by default ] - is the current value of the investment.<\/li>\n \t
- end_or_beginning<\/strong> - [OPTIONAL \u2013 0 by default] \u2013 a 0 indicates that we are making the payments at the end of each period. A value of 1 specifies that we are making payments at the beginning of each payment period.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Usage: FV formula in Google Sheets<\/h3>\nWe just learned the syntax. Let us go ahead and apply it to understand how it works. Please consider the following screenshot.\n\n
![\"FV](\"https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/FV-formula-Illustration-Frame-2.png\")
\n\nUsing the first three formulas, we calculate the future value of an investment that we are going to pay for 10 periods. The interest rate is 5% and the amount we are paying is 750. While the first and second formulas are essentially representing the same thing, the second formula is a little interesting. All the parameter values in this formula are same, except the last one. So, the value 1 indicates that we are paying up at the end of the period, hence the difference in output.\n\nThe second and third formulas produce exactly the same output. That is because, in the former, we used direct numeric values. Whereas in the latter we used cell references where we placed these values.\nNote<\/h4>\nThe veracity of this formula remains intact as long as the payment intervals remain spaced evenly. Regardless of whether we are going to make monthly or even weekly payments, we just have to ensure that we put in the proportionate interest rates. The fourth formula is an example of such calculation, for a monthly based investment series.","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[39,28],"class_list":["post-8565","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-google-sheets-formulas","tag-connections-t","tag-spreadsheets"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8565","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8565"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8565\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39309"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8565"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8565"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8565"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- number_of_periods<\/strong> - is the number of periodic payments that we are going to make.<\/li>\n \t
- number_of_periods:<\/b> the number of periodic payments that you are going to make<\/li>\n