What your saving plan is really worth
Enter what you have, what you add each month and what you are aiming for. The calculator shows the balance in future dollars, the same balance in today’s prices, and the monthly amount that actually reaches the goal.
US average savings account 0.38%, August 17, 2026
CPI-U, 12 months to August 2026
$41,880 after 10 years — worth $29,978 in today’s prices.
- Balance
- In today’s prices
| Year | Balance | In today’s prices | Lost to inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $8,625 | $8,342 | $284 |
| 5 | $23,265 | $19,683 | $3,582 |
| 10 | $41,880 | $29,978 | $11,902 |
At 0.38% against 3.4% inflation the balance grows but buys less every year. Lending the same money to the government for a year instead, at 4.44%, would end at $53,003.
Educational estimate, not financial advice. Everything is calculated in your browser — nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
How this calculator works
Interest is compounded monthly at the annual rate you enter, with the contribution added at the end of each month. The real line divides the balance by the price level at that point, so it answers “what will this buy, in prices I know today?”
The monthly amount needed is the standard future-value-of-an-annuity formula solved for the payment. No tax on the interest, no fees, no change in the rate: a steady plan, so the arithmetic stays checkable.
Common questions
How much do I need to save each month to reach $50,000?
Starting from $5,000 at 0.38%, $366.40 a month gets there in ten years. At a higher rate the same goal needs less: every extra point of interest does part of the saving for you.
Why are there two lines on the chart?
The balance you will hold, and what that balance will buy. At 3.4% inflation the $41,880 in this example is worth $29,978 in today's prices. A savings plan that ignores the second line flatters itself.
Does the interest rate really matter that much?
Yes. The same $300 a month at the average savings rate of 0.38% ends at $41,880; at the current 1-year Treasury yield of 4.44% it ends at $53,003 — a difference of $11,123 for exactly the same effort.
What does this have to do with the national debt?
The same interest rates sit on both sides of it. When the government pays more to borrow, savers can earn more on cash — and the interest bill in the federal budget grows at the same time. The rate that helps your savings account is the rate that costs the Treasury.
Sources
- Average savings account rateFDIC — National Rates and Rate Caps (national deposit rates)August 17, 2026
- Consumer price inflationUS Bureau of Labor Statistics — CPI-U, all itemsAugust 2026
- 1-year Treasury yieldUS Treasury — Daily Treasury Par Yield Curve RatesSeptember 18, 2026
All figures are fetched from the publishers above when this site is built; your browser does not contact them. This site is independent and is not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by the Federal Reserve System, any Federal Reserve Bank or any government agency. Nothing here is financial advice.