Do you know What Compound Interest is?

Jan 16, 2022 By Triston Martin

Compound interest is a powerful tool for pupils who begin saving early. You might think of it as interest that grows on itself. Mathematically speaking, you'll end up with $105 if you start with $100 and earn an annual interest rate of 5%. $110.25 will be yours after two years.


As a result of the first $100 deposit, you received $5, as well as $0.25 in interest on the $5. Initially, 25 cents may not seem like a lot, but it may add up over time. Because of the power of compound interest, even if you never add another cent, you'll have more than $162 in 10 years and about $340 at the end of your 25th year.



A Brief Guide to Compound Interest


The yearly interest rate is raised to the number of compound periods minus one, and the starting principal amount is multiplied by this figure. It is then deducted from the final value to determine how much money the borrower must repay.


How Compound Interest Accumulates


This is because interest accrued in prior periods is included in the current period's compound interest. It's worth noting that in the example above, although if the total interest paid is $1,576.25, the interest amount is not the same for all three years. In the table below, you can see how much interest you'll owe at the end of each year.


Long-term gains can be considerably enhanced by compound interest. While a 5% yearly simple interest on a $100,000 account would yield $50,000 in total interest over ten years, a 5% annual compound interest on a $10,000 deposit would yield $62,889.46 in genuine interest over the same period. The total interest would rise to $64,700.95.1 if the compounding period were paid monthly over the same 10-year period at 5% compound interest.


Schedules of compound interest


Compounding interest can be done daily, weekly, monthly, or annual. It may find typical compounding frequency schedules for financial products. Savings accounts at banks often follow a daily compounding schedule. CDs often compound daily, monthly, or semiannually; for money market accounts, it's more common to compound daily. The most prevalent compounding schedule for house mortgages, home equity loans, personal business loans, and credit card accounts is monthly.


Accrued interest can also be credited to an existing balance in a different time frame. It is possible to accrue interest on a bank account compounded every day but only paid out once a year. Once the claim has been credited to the report or added to the current amount, the history can start earning interest again.


Periods of Compounding


When calculating compound interest, the number of periods in which interest is compounded dramatically impacts the final result. Compound interest grows in proportion to the number of periods during which it is compounded. It is shown in this table how the number of compounding periods can make a $10,000 loan with a 10% annual interest rate over ten years more or less profitable.


Compounding Periods and Their Effects



There is a decreasing return to increasing the frequency of compounding periods. This example displays the interest accrued over ten years.


The 72-Step Approach


At a given interest rate or rate of return, the so-called Rule of 72 determines the estimated duration an investment will double. Only yearly compounding is permitted. An investment with a 6% annual rate of return will double in 12 years, for example. So, after nine years, an investment yielding 8% annual returns will have doubled in value.


Annual Compound Growth Rate (CAGR)


Most financial applications employ the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) to calculate a single growth rate over a given period. Using this example, is it possible to calculate the CAGR for a portfolio that grew from $10,000 to $16,000 in five years? Because the PV is -$10,000, FV is $16,000, and t is 5, we need to determine the variable "i." I can prove that I = 9.86% by using a financial calculator or Excel.


Real-World Applications of CAGR


The CAGR is frequently utilized in stock, mutual fund, and investment portfolio returns over time. The CAGR is also used. For example, throughout five years, a market index returned a total of 10%, while the management of a mutual fund only earned an annual return of 9%. For reasons like saving for retirement, the CAGR may be used to assess the predicted growth rate of investment portfolios over lengthy periods. Take a look at these examples:


Compounding Advantages and Disadvantages


Although Albert Einstein has referred to the marvel of compounding as the "eighth wonder of the universe" or "the greatest creation of man," the compounding effect may operate against borrowers with high-interest loans like credit card debt. If you have a $20,000 credit card bill, you'll pay $4,388 in interest over a year, or roughly $365 per month, if you pay it off each month. When it comes to your assets, compounding may work in your favor and be a powerful tool for wealth building.


In addition to mitigating wealth-eroding causes, such as rising living costs, inflation, and decreased buying power, compounding interest can help. Investors may quickly reap compound interest through the use of mutual funds. Dividend reinvestment occurs in the purchase of more mutual fund shares. Compound interest grows over time, and when additional shares are purchased, the fund's value will rise even further.

Related Articles