Finance · Compound Interest

Watch your money compound.

Principal, annual rate, years, and compounding frequency. See the final balance and how much was just interest.

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Inputs

Monthly is the default for mutual funds + most banks.

Receipts

Final balance
Interest earned
Effective annual rate
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When this number lies

  • This shows nominal growth, not inflation-adjusted real return. Subtract 3-4%/yr for real purchasing power.
  • No taxes modelled. Capital gains, dividend tax, or interest tax will reduce the final number.
  • Past returns don’t guarantee future ones. Treat 8% as a long-horizon equity assumption, not a promise.
How this is calculated
  • final = principal × (1 + rate/n)^(n × years)
  • interest = final − principal
  • ear = (1 + rate/n)^n − 1
  • n = compounding periods per year
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