 |
«A website where you can find the lowest interest rates on home loans with absolutely free quotes from multiple lenders» |
| • Home Equity Loan • Home Refinance Loan • Home Purchase Loan • Second Mortgage Loan • Debt Consolidation Loan | ||
|
 | |
| |
| Home Equity Loan Store :: Personal Finance | |
|
|
|
The Magic Of Compound Interest
Christians are called to be good stewards of God's resources. A steward can be described as someone who manages the resources of another. "The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it, the world and those who dwell therein"-Psalms 24:1 (The New English Bible). To effectively manage God's financial resources, it helps to have some understanding of modern day financial concepts, strategies, and mathematical formulas. Compound interest is a great ally in catapulting you toward achieving your financial goals. Through an understanding of compound interest, God can pour out a blessing upon you, which you will not be able to measure! Albert Einstein once called compound interest "the world's most impressive invention" and dubbed it the "eighth wonder of the world." Compound interest means all the money you've invested earns interest and then the combined amount of the original investments plus your interest earns more interest. Compounding means interest added to interest. Compound interest does not produce linear growth like the pattern 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and so on; it produces geometric growth through compounding like the pattern 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and so on. Usually, the more frequently your money compounds when earning interest, the better. For example, daily compounding is normally better than monthly compounding, which is better than quarterly compounding, which is better than yearly compounding. A basic formula for compound interest is as follows: FV = ID (1 + R)T, then FV - ID Where: Assuming the following investment--$10,000 Initial Deposit, 6% interest Rate, 5-year Time period, the math would work as follows: FV = $10,000.00 x (1 + 0.06)5 Formula results by year are as follows: Year 1 $10,000. 00 x (1 + 0.06)1 = $10,600.00 Year 2 $10,600. 00 x (1 + 0.06)2 = $11,236.00 Year 3 $11,236. 00 x (1 + 0.06)3 = $11,910.16 Year 4 $11,910. 16 x (1 + 0.06)4 = $12,624.77 Year 5 $12,624. 77 x (1 + 0.06)5 = $13,382.26. Then FV - ID = $13,382.26 - $10,000.00 = $3,382.26 (Total Interest Earned). The effect of the individual parts of the formula in combination with each other produces synergistic results in the outcome that are greater than the sum of its parts individually. In other words, small increases in any of the components can have a dramatic incremental effect on the total compound interest earned. Another useful tool in approximating the magic of compounding is the "Rule of 72." Albert Einstein is credited with discovering the compound interest Rule of 72 and said, "It is the greatest mathematical discovery of all time." The Rule of 72 is a mathematical way of approximating the number of years it takes an investment to double in value. You estimate the number of years for an investment to double by dividing 72 by the annual rate of return. For example, if you expect to earn a 10% return on your $10,000 investment, then 72 divided by 10 = 7.2 years for your investment to double in value to $20,000. Conversely, if you expect your $10,000 investment to double in 7.2 years and you want to know the interest rate needed, you simply take 72 divided by 7.2 = 10% interest. You can even use it to compare stock market interest rate returns to other investments. For example, assume you are looking at lots with a real estate agent. The agent tells you the properties have doubled in value during the last 14 years. You could get a quick estimate of the increase per year in value by doing the following math: 72 divided by 14 = 5.14% per year. There is one formula that is infinitely more important than even the "Rule of 72": "1" cross + "3" nails = "4" given. Praise God! Bill G. Page is the author of Making Money Work: A Christian Guide For Personal Finance. This book explains the "Rule of 72" and many other financial concepts. It includes a CD ROM so you can easily calculate compound interest and lots of other complicated financial formulas. The book can be ordered from www.MakingMoneyWork.us or you may request the book from your local Christian bookstore-available to retail stores through Spring Arbor and Appalachian Christian book distributors beginning in September 2005. This article is adapted from Making Money Work: A Christian Guide For Personal Finance with permission of Willie Glenn Page, Inc. Copyright 2005. Bill G. Page
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Should You Borrow From Your 401(k) Account? If you have a 401(k) account, it can be very tempting to borrow from your account especially when your balance is very high and a loan could easily pay off existing debt, fund a home purchase, or pay for college tuition. Before you make the decision to borrow money, there are several things you must keep in mind to avoid risking your funds. 10 Quick And Cheap Ways To Cut Your Heating Bill When you received an energy (heating) bill last winter, were you afraid to open it? Granted that we have a home with a lot of really big windows, but we saw energy bills last winter in the hundreds of dollars. Your bill probably wasn't that bad but I'm guessing that it was a lot higher than you would have liked. How to Balance Your Checkbook - Get a Calculator and Pencil and You are Ready To Go! Despite how easy it is to balance a checkbook, very few people take the time to do it and the few who do, don't always do it the right way. If you write down in your checkbook ledger what should be deducted and added, you are on the right track - if not, start there and follow these nine easy steps to a balanced checkbook. Save Money on Groceries: Part I One universal of humanity, no matter who you are or where you come from, you have to eat. Unless you grow your own food, you will have to go to the grocery store to get it. Reduce College Debt with Scholarships Six Scholarship judges were sitting around an oval table. Forms were piled into 50 boxes. Roth IRA Contributions - IRS Rules Confused about whether you can contribute to a Roth IRA? Try using these simple rules:IncomeTo contribute to a Roth IRA, you must have compensation (e.g. Budgeting Your Way to Financial Freedom Financial freedom cannot be achieved without budgeting. Budgeting involves tracking your sources of income and more importantly tracking your expenses. Budgeting: A Tough Love Way to Handle Your Household Budget Developing and living by a household budget is by far the best way to get your expenses under control which, in turn, can mean a much less stressful life.However, many families find it very difficult to stick to a budget. Financial Readiness: Preparing for BRAC (Base Realignment And Closing) The recommendations for military base closings have been released and the news is not good. If the recommendations are accepted, you will lose your job. Check Fraud and Verification Before buying personal or business checks you should inform yourself of the best ways to protect yourself from check fraud. Since man has written checks check fraud has existed. Budgeting is Essential for a Single Mothers Success Today many women are struggling with debt and it's even harder if you are a single mother trying to support your family. According to the Census Bureau single mothers far outweigh single fathers. How To Survive The Grocery Shopping Blues If you are the normal consumer, then you've probably experienced the Grocery Shopping Blues. Most supermarkets use this trick to their advantage to squeeze more money out of their customers and turn a tidy little profit for themselves. Can You Afford Not To Look After Your Personal Finances? Investing is a subject a lot of people don't want to think about. And there is good reason for that. Top 10+ Ways to Jumpstart your New Year's Finances! Of course, these don't have to be done in any particular order! Just pick one or two that particularly apply to your situation. * Create your 2005 filing system. How To Reap The Rewards With Rewards Programs Recently, many of these loyalty rewards programs have come to the realization that they must change how they put these programs together if they are going to increase their share of the market.One way that has changed over the years is how reward programs have started linking up with various partners to offer more types of rewards for it's members. How You Feel Affects How You Shop & How Much You Spend Have you ever stopped to think about how your "mood" affects the way you shop, not to mention the amount you spend? Think about it.If you want to save a lot of money, avoid shopping whenever you are in one of these moods:DEPRESSED, UPSET, or ANGRYIt's very dangerous for your pocketbook to shop when you're either depressed, upset or angry. The Origins of Check Writing People haven't always written checks to buy goods and services. But you know that right? So how did people transfer money from one place to another in times of old?In ancient times the most popular form of money exchange was the trade. A Fresh Start for Family Finances in 2005 While 40% to 50% of us make New Year's resolutions on January 1-a ritual that has existed since ancient times-approximately 60% to 80% of us have already broken them by the end of February, according to researchers.It's still not too late, however, to reset the trajectory on your family's finances, experts note. Help With My Annuity The cries are heard from the distance, "I need help with my annuities." Nothing has changed. The Wright Place - Finances Women have a love/hate relationship with money. Most of us do not enjoy dealing with it, yet we know not having finances under control will cause our entire family to suffer.
|
