# NPER Function

The NPER function is one of the financial functions. It is used to calculate the number of periods for an investment based on a specified interest rate and a constant payment schedule.

The NPER function syntax is:

NPER(rate, pmt, pv [, [fv] [,[type]]])

where

rate is the interest rate.

pmt is a payment amount.

pv is the present value of the payments.

fv is the future value of an investment. It is an optional argument. If it is omitted, the function will assume fv to be 0.

type is the period when the payments are due. It is an optional argument. If it is set to 0 or omitted, the function will assume the payments to be due at the end of the period. If it is 1, the payments are due at the beginning of the period.

Note: cash paid out (such as deposits to savings) is represented by negative numbers; cash received (such as dividend checks) is represented by positive numbers.

The numeric values can be entered manually or included into the cells you make reference to.

To apply the NPER function,

1. select the cell where you wish to display the result,
2. click the Insert function icon situated at the top toolbar,
   or right-click within a selected cell and select the Insert Function option from the menu,
   or click the icon situated at the formula bar,
3. select the Financial function group from the list,
4. click the NPER function,
5. enter the required arguments separating them by commas,
6. press the Enter button.

The result will be displayed in the selected cell.