Compound Interest

You lot may wish to read Introduction to Involvement outset

With Compound Interest, you work out the interest for the offset period, add it to the total, and and so calculate the involvement for the adjacent period, and so on ..., like this:

interest compound $1000, 10%=$100, $1100, 10%=$110, $1210, 10%=$121, etc

It grows faster and faster like this:

compound graph 7 years at 10%

Here are the calculations for 5 Years at x%:

Year

Loan at Start

Interest

Loan at End

0 (Now)

$1,000.00

($one,000.00 × 10% = ) $100.00

$ane,100.00

1

$1,100.00

($1,100.00 × 10% = ) $110.00

$1,210.00

ii

$i,210.00

($1,210.00 × x% = ) $121.00

$1,331.00

iii

$one,331.00

($1,331.00 × ten% = ) $133.10

$i,464.10

4

$1,464.10

($i,464.x × 10% = ) $146.41

$one,610.51

v

$1,610.51

Those calculations are done 1 step at a fourth dimension:

  1. Calculate the Involvement (= "Loan at Outset" × Interest Rate)
  2. Add the Interest to the "Loan at Start" to get the "Loan at Terminate" of the year
  3. The "Loan at End" of the yr is the "Loan at Start" of the side by side twelvemonth

A uncomplicated job, with lots of calculations.

But in that location are quicker means, using some clever mathematics.

Make A Formula

Let us make a formula for the in a higher place ... just looking at the first twelvemonth to begin with:

$one,000.00 + ($one,000.00 × ten%) = $1,100.00

Nosotros can rearrange information technology like this:

interest compound step-by-step

Then, adding x% interest is the same as multiplying past ane.x

+10% -> x1.10

so this: $1,000 + ($one,000 10 10%) = $1,000 + $100 = $1,100
is the aforementioned every bit: $i,000 × 1.10 = $1,100

Note: the Involvement Rate was turned into a decimal past dividing past 100:

10% = 10/100 = 0.10

Read Percentages to learn more, merely in practice just move the decimal point 2 places, like this:

10% → 1.0 → 0.10

Or this:

six% → 0.vi → 0.06

The issue is that we can do a twelvemonth in one step:

  1. Multiply the "Loan at Starting time" by (i + Interest Rate) to get "Loan at End"

Now, here is the magic ...

... the same formula works for any year!

  • We could do the side by side yr like this: $one,100 × 1.10 = $one,210
  • And so continue to the post-obit year: $one,210 × i.10 = $ane,331
  • etc...

So it works similar this:

interest compound $1000 x1.1 $1100 x1.1 $1210 x1.1 ...

In fact we could go from the starting time straight to Year 5, if nosotros multiply 5 times:

$i,000 × 1.10 × one.10 × ane.10 × 1.10 × ane.10 = $1,610.51

But it is easier to write down a series of multiplies using Exponents (or Powers) like this:

$1000 x 1.10^5 = $1610.51

This does all the calculations in the top table in 1 go.

The Formula

Nosotros have been using a real example, but permit'due south be more than general by using letters instead of numbers, similar this:

PV x (1+r)^n = FV

(This is the aforementioned every bit to a higher place, merely with PV = $i,000, r = 0.x, n = 5, and FV = $one,610.51)

Here is is written with "FV" first:

FV = PV × (i+r)n

where FV = Future Value
PV = Present Value
r = annual involvement charge per unit
n = number of periods

lightbulb This is the bones formula for Chemical compound Interest.

Call up it, because it is very useful.

Examples

How near some examples ...
... what if the loan went for xv Years? ... just change the "n" value:

$1000 x 1.10^15 = $4177.25

... and what if the loan was for five years, just the involvement rate was only 6%? Hither:

$1000 x 1.06^5 = $1338.23

Did y'all run into how we just put the half dozen% into its place like this: 6% -> 1.06

... and what if the loan was for xx years at 8%? ... you piece of work it out!

Going "Backwards" to Work Out the Present Value

Allow's say your goal is to have $two,000 in 5 Years. You can get x%, so how much should yous start with?

In other words, you know a Future Value, and want to know a Present Value.

We know that multiplying a Present Value (PV) past (i+r)n gives us the Future Value (FV), so we can go backwards by dividing, like this:

pv vs fv

Then the Formula is:

PV = FV (one+r)due north

And now we can calculate the answer:

PV = $2,000 (1+0.10)5

= $ii,000 1.61051

= $ane,241.84

In other words, $1,241.84 will grow to $2,000 if you invest it at 10% for 5 years.

Some other Example: How much do you demand to invest now, to get $10,000 in 10 years at 8% interest rate?

PV = $ten,000 (1+0.08)10

= $10,000 two.1589

= $4,631.93

Then, $4,631.93 invested at 8% for 10 Years grows to $x,000

Compounding Periods

Compound Interest is not always calculated per year, it could be per month, per day, etc. Simply if it is not per yr it should say so!

Example: y'all take out a $1,000 loan for 12 months and it says "1% per month", how much practice you pay dorsum?

Only use the Future Value formula with "n" being the number of months:

FV = PV × (1+r)n

= $1,000 × (1.01)12

= $1,000 × ane.12683

= $1,126.83 to pay back

And it is also possible to have yearly interest only with several compoundings within the year, which is called Periodic Compounding.

Example, six% interest with "monthly compounding" does non mean 6% per month, it means 0.5% per month (6% divided by 12 months), and is worked out like this:

FV = PV × (ane+r/n)n

= $1,000 × (i + vi%/12)12

= $1,000 × (i + 0.5%)12

= $i,000 × (1.005)12

= $1,000 × 1.06168...

= $i,061.68 to pay back

This is equal to a 6.168% ($1,000 grew to $ane,061.68) for the whole year.

And then exist careful to understand what is meant!

APR

home loan ad
This ad looks similar 6.25%,
merely is really 6.335%

Because it is easy for loan ads to exist confusing (sometimes on purpose!), the "APR" is often used.

April means " Almanac Per centum Rate ": it shows how much you will really be paying for the year (including compounding, fees, etc).

Here are some examples:

Example i: "1% per month" actually works out to be 12.683% April (if no fees).

Case ii: "half dozen% involvement with monthly compounding" works out to be 6.168% APR (if no fees).

If yous are shopping around, inquire for the APR.

Break Fourth dimension!

So far we have looked at using (i+r)n to get from a Present Value (PV) to a Hereafter Value (FV) and back again, plus some of the tricky things that can happen to a loan.

At present is a good time to accept a break before we look at two more topics:

  • How to work out the Involvement Rate if you know PV, FV and the Number of Periods.
  • How to work out the Number of Periods if you know PV, FV and the Interest Rate

Working Out The Involvement Rate

You can summate the Involvement Rate if you know a Present Value, a Future Value and how many Periods.

Example: yous take $1,000, and desire it to grow to $2,000 in 5 Years, what interest rate exercise you need?

The formula is:

r = ( FV / PV )1/north - 1

calculator exponent button

Note: the little "1/n" is a Fractional Exponent, first summate 1/n, then use that as the exponent on your calculator.

For instance 20.two is entered as 2, "x^y", 0, ., 2, =

Now we tin can "plug in" the values to get the outcome:

r = ( $two,000 / $i,000 )1/5 − i

= (2)0.two − one

= i.1487 − one

= 0.1487

And 0.1487 equally a percent is 14.87%,

And so you need 14.87% involvement rate to turn $1,000 into $2,000 in 5 years.

Some other Example: What interest rate practice y'all demand to turn $one,000 into $v,000 in 20 Years?

r = ( $five,000 / $1,000 )one/xx − i

= (v)0.05 − 1

= one.0838 − ane

= 0.0838

And 0.0838 every bit a pct is 8.38%.

So 8.38% will turn $1,000 into $5,000 in 20 Years.

Working Out How Many Periods

You lot can summate how many Periods if you know a Future Value, a Nowadays Value and the Interest Charge per unit.

Case: you desire to know how many periods it will take to turn $1,000 into $2,000 at 10% interest.

This is the formula (notation: it uses the natural logarithm function ln ):

due north = ln(FV / PV) / ln(one + r)

calculator ln button

The " ln" function should exist on a good calculator.

You could likewise use log , just don't mix the two.

Anyway, let's "plug in" the values:

n = ln( $2,000/$1,000 ) / ln( 1 + 0.ten )

= ln(2)/ln(i.10)

= 0.69315/0.09531

= vii.27

Magic! It will need 7.27 years to plow $1,000 into $2,000 at 10% interest.

Case: How many years to turn $1,000 into $10,000 at 5% interest?

north = ln( $x,000/$1,000 ) / ln( 1 + 0.05 )

= ln(ten)/ln(1.05)

= ii.3026/0.04879

= 47.19

47 Years! But we are talking virtually a 10-fold increase, at just five% interest.

Summary

The basic formula for Compound Interest is:

FV = PV (ane+r)n

Finds the Time to come Value, where:

  • FV = Future Value,
  • PV = Present Value,
  • r = Interest Charge per unit (equally a decimal value), and
  • n = Number of Periods

And by rearranging that formula (see Chemical compound Interest Formula Derivation) nosotros can find any value when nosotros know the other three:

PV = FV (one+r)due north

Finds the Present Value when you know a Future Value, the Interest Rate and number of Periods.

r = (FV/PV)(1/north) − one

Finds the Interest Charge per unit when you know the Present Value, Hereafter Value and number of Periods.

n = ln(FV / PV) ln(1 + r)

Finds the number of Periods when you know the Present Value, Hereafter Value and Interest Charge per unit (note: ln is the logarithm function)

Annuities

We have now covered what happens to a value every bit time goes by ... but what if we have a series of values, like regular loan payments or yearly investments? That is covered in the topic of Annuities.