Project what monthly contributions become by a child's 18th or 21st birthday.

A children's future fund is a long-horizon savings goal where time works strongly in your favour. A child born today and 50/month contributed until age 18 produces roughly 17,000 at 5% returns — 10,800 contributed plus 6,200 in compound growth. At 100/month the total is doubled. At 18+ years horizon, even modest contributions compound meaningfully.

Jurisdiction-specific account types tax-advantaged child savings account;: tax-advantaged education savings account; etc) have tax advantages worth investigating separately. The calculator focuses on underlying growth math — what you contribute and at what rate — which is the foundation regardless of account wrapper.

Common patterns25-50/month produces 5,000-17,000 by age 18 (deposit on first car, helpful toward university costs). 100-200/month produces 35,000-70,000 (meaningful education or first-home contribution). 300+/month produces 100,000+ (substantial house deposit support). Each trajectory is realistic within different household budgets.

How to use it

Input child's current age, target age (usually 18 or 21), current fund balance, monthly contribution, and expected return. The tool projects the fund balance at target age.

What the result means

Final balance is what the fund becomes at target age. Years to target is the time horizon for compound growth. Interest earned vs total contributed shows how much comes from you vs compound growth — at 18-year horizons, interest typically matches or exceeds contributions at modest return rates.

Projection tool. Actual returns vary. Not financial advice.

Run it with sensible defaults

Using child's current age of 2, target age of 18, current fund balance of 500, monthly contribution of 100, the calculation works out to 30,435.20. Nudge the inputs toward your own situation and the output recalculates instantly. The defaults are meant as a starting point, not a recommendation.

The levers in this calculation

The inputs — Child's Current Age, Target Age, Current Fund Balance, Monthly Contribution, and Annual Return — do not pull with equal force. Not every input has equal weight. Flip one at a time toward extreme values to feel which ones move the needle most for your situation.

How the math works

Monthly compounding with monthly contributions. Years to target is target age minus current age, converted to months for calculation. The working is transparent — you can verify every step yourself in the formula section below. No black box, no opaque "proprietary model".

Turning the result into a plan

A projection is just a starting point. The real work is setting the monthly amount aside automatically so the saving happens before you can spend it. Most people who hit savings goals set up a standing order on payday; most who miss them rely on willpower at month-end.

What this doesn't capture

The calculation assumes a steady savings rate and a stable interest rate. Real saving journeys include emergencies, windfalls, and rate changes — especially in easy-access products. The figure is a direction of travel, not a guarantee.