ExcelBanter - How can I calculate the future value with multiple cash flows?

"help!!" wrote:
I am given 4 amounts that will be deposited into an IRA and will earn x
amount of interest and th uestion is how much will they have after 4 yrs.
I know that there is a way if I calculate the future value of each deposit
but is there a wayto do it all at once.

Your question is confusing because your subject says one thing ("multiple
cash flows", which usually means at different times), but your description
might be construed to say something else ("4 amounts will be deposited" --
at the same time?).

If you have 4 amounts, say A1:A4, deposited at the same time, and if B1 is
the APY (compounded annual percentage yield), the future value is simply:

=fv(B1, 4, 0, -sum(A1:A4))

assuming that A1:A4 are positive numbers. You might need to explicitly
format the cell with a number format of your choice.

If the 4 amounts are deposited at different times, you need to tell us when
they are deposited. But generally, the total future value is simply the sum
of the individual future values.

Suppose you make a deposit at the beginning of each year. Then:

=fv(B1,4,0,-A1) + fv(B1,3,0,-A2) + fv(B1,2,0,-A3) + fv(B1,1,0,-A4)

This can written more compactly as:

=sumproduct(fv(B1,4-row(indirect("$1:$4"))+1,0,-A1:A4))