college savings problems are a BITC$$ make sure to adjust N example my daughter penelope wants to go to school one day. I am saving, and I know I will get 100,000 in 10 years. but she starts school in FOUR years I can get 8% on my $ what is PV of that 10 G ? draw a time line. you are discounting the 10K not at 10 or 4 yrs but at 6 !!! on your HP12c: n = 6 FV = 10000 i = 8% PV = 63,017