How to Use FV in Google Sheets and Excel: A Quick Guide

1. Manual ways to use FV in Google Sheets and Excel

Before you automate, it helps to feel the friction. Here are core manual workflows you probably use today.

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1. Basic FV in Excel for a recurring payment

1. Open Excel and select a results cell.
2. Enter: =FV(rate, nper, pmt, [pv], [type]).
3. For a monthly savings plan at 6% annual interest over 5 years with 500 paid in at the end of each month, use: =FV(0.06/12, 5*12, -500, 0, 0)
4. Remember: cash outflows like savings must be negative, per Microsoft’s docs: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/fv-function-2eef9f44-a084-4c61-bdd8-4fe4bb1b71b3

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2. FV in Excel with both starting balance and contributions

1. Suppose you already have 10,000 in the account and will add 500 per month for 5 years at 6%.
2. Use: =FV(0.06/12, 60, -500, -10000, 0).
3. Here pv is negative because it represents money you have put in.

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3. FV in Google Sheets for campaign war-chest planning

1. In Google Sheets, syntax is nearly identical: =FV(rate, number_of_periods, payment, [present_value], [end_or_beginning]).
2. Example from Google’s help center: https://support.google.com/docs/answer/3093281
3. For a quarterly budget reserve: =FV(0.08/4, 4*3, -2000, 0, 0).
4. This tells you what your reserve becomes after 3 years, with 2,000 added each quarter.

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4. Row-by-row FV for each client or property

1. Put rate in column B, nper in C, pmt in D, pv in E.
2. In F2 use: =FV($B2/12, $C2*12, -$D2, -$E2, 0).
3. Drag down to apply per client, property, or campaign.

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5. Scenario analysis by hand

1. Duplicate your sheet as Base, Optimistic, Pessimistic.
2. Adjust rate or pmt assumptions in each.
3. Recalculate FV manually and compare.

This works but becomes painful when you have dozens of clients, SKUs, or campaigns.

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2. No-code automation with traditional tools

You can reduce the busywork before bringing in an AI computer agent.

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A. Use named ranges and templates in Excel

1. Define named ranges for rate, nper, pmt, pv (Formulas > Name Manager).
2. Your core formula becomes: =FV(rate_monthly, total_periods, -pmt_monthly, -pv_start, 0).
3. Now you can change assumptions once and have every FV in the model update.

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B. Automate data refresh with Power Query (Excel)

1. Use Power Query to pull new cash-flow assumptions from a CSV, database, or CRM export.
2. Bind your FV calculations to that refreshed data.
3. When you click Refresh All, FV values update across the workbook.

Microsoft’s docs on financial functions and modeling are a good reference: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/financial-functions-reference-5658d81e-6035-4f24-89c1-fbf124c2b1d8

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C. Google Sheets + Apps Script trigger

1. Create a Google Sheet template with columns: rate, nper, pmt, pv, fv.
2. In fv column use a standard formula like =FV($B2/12, $C2*12, -$D2, -$E2, 0).
3. Use Apps Script (Extensions > Apps Script) to write a small script that runs daily, copying yesterday’s row, updating dates or contributions, and letting FV recalc automatically.
4. Docs: https://developers.google.com/apps-script/guides/sheets

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D. Zapier or Make to sync inputs

1. Use Zapier to push new deals, contracts, or subscriptions from your CRM into a Google Sheet.
2. Your FV formulas in Sheets update in real time as rows are added.
3. You still maintain the formulas, but data entry disappears.

These no-code flows remove data wrangling, yet you, or your analyst, still manage every formula, scenario, and edge case. That is where an AI computer agent changes the game.

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3. Scaling FV with an AI agent (Simular) at the desktop level

Now imagine handing off the entire workflow to an agent that can literally use your computer.

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Method 1: Simular agent as your on-demand financial ops assistant

Workflow:

1. You keep a master Excel model and a few Google Sheets dashboards.
2. You describe a task to a Simular AI computer agent: “Update all FV calculations for next quarter’s campaigns in both Excel and Google Sheets, then produce a summary tab per client.”
3. The Simular Pro agent opens your desktop Excel, navigates the workbook, checks the FV syntax, and adjusts rate and nper units (for example converting annual to monthly) following Microsoft’s FV rules.
4. It then switches to your browser, opens the right Google Sheets files, mirrors the logic, and validates results across tools.

Pros:

• End-to-end: handles desktop Excel, browser-based Sheets, and file organization without APIs.
• Transparent: every click and formula change is inspectable so your finance lead can review.
• Flexible: change the instructions without rebuilding automations.

Cons:

• Requires an initial onboarding session where you show the agent your preferred templates.
• Best run on a dedicated machine or session for production-grade reliability.

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Method 2: Always-on FV portfolio updater for agencies and SaaS teams

Workflow:

1. Configure a scheduled job that triggers a Simular Pro agent via webhook from your existing pipeline.
2. Each night the agent:
   • Downloads fresh exports from Stripe, your CRM, or ad platforms.
   • Opens Excel models to recalculate FV-based forecasts (renewals, LTV, campaign reserves).
   • Updates Google Sheets client dashboards, extending FV formulas down to the latest rows.
3. It then writes a short natural-language summary: “Client A’s reserve fund will reach X by Q4 at Y% rate; if we increase monthly pmt by 15%, FV becomes Z.”

Pros:

• Near real-time forecasting without manual intervention.
• Human-readable summaries for founders, sales leaders, and clients.

Cons:

• You must design clear guardrails: where to store files, which workbooks are authoritative.

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Method 3: What-if scenario generator at scale

Workflow:

1. You define a list of scenarios (different rates, nper, pmts) in a control tab.
2. The Simular agent loops through them:
   • Clones your Excel or Sheets model per scenario.
   • Adjusts FV inputs according to each case.
   • Exports charts and key numbers into a single summary deck.

Pros:

• Turns complex scenario planning into a one-click operation.
• Great for board prep, fundraising, and client upsell proposals.

Cons:

• More complex flows benefit from a brief collaboration between your finance lead and the Simular implementation owner.

Once this is in place, your relationship with FV changes. Instead of being the person who wrestles with rate, nper, and type every month, you become the editor-in-chief: defining assumptions and reviewing what your AI computer agent produces across Google Sheets and Excel.