Know what’s in store for your money with the help of a term deposit calculator.
A term deposit is a type of high interest savings account that is closed for withdrawals or deposits for the length of time that you choose. Interest is calculated at a fixed rate, and any payments made while the term is in place made to a separate account, allowing you to know precisely how much you will earn based on your deposit amount.
How do I use the term deposit calculator?
With the right information in front of you, it should be easy for you to use the term deposit calculator to determine how much interest you will earn, or how much you need to deposit in order to reach your earning goal. Fill in the relevant fields with the correct information and within seconds you will have the details you need to help you decide which term deposit to choose:
- Deposit amount. This is the amount of money you plan to invest into the term deposit account.
- Term length. In this field you will put the number of months you will be investing for.
- Interest rate. Input the listed interest rate for the term deposit you are investigating. Pay attention to the details, as in most cases that amount will be different depending on a number of factors including; the length of terms, how much you invest, and how often you are receiving interest payments.
- Fees. This field will be left at zero for most term deposits, but you should always check to ensure that there is no establishment or ongoing fees with the account you are looking into. If there are, you will insert them into the appropriate field that indicates how often they are paid.
Myra is trying to save money in order to put a down payment on a new home in three years. She has so far been able to save $5,000 with the help of various high interest savings accounts, but now believes that she will get a better return on her investment with a term deposit. Since she is now earning a steady income that covers her expenses, she is confident that she will have no reason to need that savings before the three year term ends.
The first term deposit that Myra looks into is offering interest at a fixed rate of 3% per annum (p.a.) for a three year term deposit. Since she has no intention of spending the interest before the terms expire, Myra is able to get that higher rate by choosing the maturity payment only option. Using the calculator, Myra is able to determine that she will earn $450 in interest when that term deposit matures.
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Frequently asked questions
Will the amount shown on the calculator be exactly the same as the amount of interest I earn?
Because of the structure of a term deposit account it should be fairly accurate, although there may be other factors not taken into consideration that could affect the amount of interest paid to you.
The term I chose is for four years, but that is not given as an option. What should I do?
The calculator recognises terms in months, so you only need to multiply the number of years by 12. For example, in this case you would choose a 48 month term for four years.
I want to make at least $500 in interest, how would I figure that out?
You would have to play with the numbers that you insert into the field, particularly the length of terms as this is the option you have the most control over, until you come out with the earnings you are striving for.
Can I use this calculator for a regular savings account?
There are other variables to consider with a typical high interest savings account that are not needed with the term deposit calculator. If you are interested in comparing the interest earning benefits of both types of accounts, you can also access a savings account calculator through our site.
