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Savings Goal Calculator
A goal without a date is a wish. This calculator converts a target amount into either a timeline or a required monthly contribution, so you can see which one is negotiable.
Interest compounding included · Works for any currency
At a glance
Interactive calculator
Live — results update as you type
What are you saving for?
A number and a date. That is all a goal needs.
Time to reach your goal
—at the current contribution
—
The three levers, in order of power
Start earlier, not harder
Ten years of $500 a month beats five years of $900 almost every time. Time is the only input you cannot buy back, which is why the start date matters more than the amount.
Raise the contribution
Once the timeline is fixed, the monthly number is set by arithmetic. A 10% increase in contribution typically cuts three to six months off a five-year goal.
Get the rate right
A high-interest savings account near 4.5% and a cash account at 0.5% produce very different outcomes over five years. Use the after-tax, after-fee rate.
$80,000 in four years, starting from $15,000
You have $15,000 and want $80,000. At 4.2% in a bonus savings account, $1,200 a month gets you there in four years with $80,341 in the account.
Of that, $57,600 is your own contributions and $7,741 is interest. Lower the monthly amount to $900 and the goal moves out past five years — which is why the target amount is often the variable worth revisiting before the discipline.
Savings goal questions
Should I use the interest rate after tax?
Yes. Interest is taxed at your marginal rate, so a 4.5% account returns roughly 2.5% after tax for someone on the 37% bracket. Enter the after-tax rate or the result will flatter you.
What interest rate can I realistically get in Australia?
Bonus savings accounts have sat between 4% and 5.5% in recent cycles, subject to monthly deposit conditions. Term deposits vary widely. Anything above 6% usually carries a condition you need to read.
Is it better to save or pay down the mortgage?
If your mortgage rate is above your savings rate after tax, paying down the loan wins on pure arithmetic. An offset account gives you the same benefit while keeping the cash accessible, which is why most advisers prefer it for a deposit you might need at short notice.
How much emergency buffer should I hold first?
Three months of essential expenses before you start on a discretionary goal. Without it, the first surprise expense goes on a credit card and undoes the saving.
Does this account for inflation?
No. Enter a rate net of inflation if you want the result in today's purchasing power, or reduce your target to a real-dollar figure.
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Turn these numbers into a decision
A calculator gives you a range. An adviser gives you a decision — pressure-tested against your super, your tax position and the life you actually want to fund.
General advice only · No obligation · No product push
Results assume a constant interest rate and a constant contribution, which no real account delivers. Interest is assumed reinvested and taxed as entered. This is general information, not personal financial advice.
Reviewed November 2026 · FY2026–27 rates and thresholds