==NPER(rate,pmt,pv,[fv],[type])
=NPER(0.005, -200, -1000, 5000, 0)
In this example, the NPER function is used to calculate the number of periods required to reach a future value of $5,000 with an initial investment of $1,000, making monthly payments of $200, and an interest rate of 0.5% per period (or 6% annually). The formula returns approximately 17.23 periods, meaning it will take approximately 17 to 18 periods to reach the desired future value.
=NPER(0.04/12, -150, 0, 10000, 1)
In this example, the NPER function is used to calculate the number of periods required to accumulate a future value of $10,000 by making monthly payments of $150 at the end of each period, with an annual interest rate of 4% (or 0.3333% monthly). The "type" argument is set to 1, indicating that payments are made at the beginning of each period. The formula returns approximately 54.71 periods, meaning it will take approximately 55 periods to accumulate the desired amount.
The NPER function is a useful tool for calculating the number of periods an investment will take. It requires periodic payments and a constant interest rate as inputs to return the total number of periods for the investment.