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Jon T. Upham, MA, AIF

Principal, SageView

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The Benefit of Compounding Interest: How it works

11/14/2013 10:35AM | 8954 views

We all know it can be difficult to save money. There are many bills to pay, and immediate needs make saving money a challenge not only for you but for everyone. However, many people do not realize the benefit of compounding interest, and when you do not save regularly you are missing out on a great opportunity.

The two most important pieces to financial success are time and regular savings. The news media spends a lot of time discussing investments and unique ways to be financially prepared for life, all of which are important for an individual to have a truly healthy financial future. However, nothing is more important than starting early and benefiting from the power of compound interest.

A simple definition of interest is a payment received for the use of one’s money. Often this is a bank paying you interest on the money you have deposited in your savings or checking account. This can also be interest earned from an investment in a stock or mutual fund.

By definition, compound interest is: interest paid on both the principal and on previously earned interest, which doesn’t sound very impressive or impactful until you look at the numbers.

Let’s look at a simple example:

Many people have a savings account that might be earning a small amount of interest. Below is how compound interest can affect the value of a savings account:

  • For this example, Mary puts $1,000 into a savings account that earns 3% interest each year. After the first year Mary would have earned $30 in interest, so her account balance would be $1,030 (3% multiplied by $1,000).
  • In the second year, Mary would earn $30.90 in interest, $30 in interest on the $1,000 deposited and $0.90 on the $30 in interest she earned last year. If Mary would have taken out the interest she received in year one, then she would have missed out on the $0.90 in interest in year two.
  • In year three, not only does she get to earn interest on the original $1,000, but she also earns interest on the $30 earned in year one and now Mary earns interest on the $30.90 she earned in year two. 

After 10 years, Mary’s balance would be $1,343.92, if all of the interest were allowed to compound. If Mary had withdrawn the $30 interest each year, she would have $1,000 in the account and only $300 in withdrawn cash; that’s $43.92 extra from compound interest she would not have. After 30 years, the difference would be $527.26.

Regular Savings

Now, let’s add in the second most important feature for financial success, regular savings. If Mary adds just $5 per month to her savings account, after 10 years her balance earning 3% interest would be $2,031.75. After 30 years her balance would be $5,281.79.

One of the places you can see significant savings and compounding is in your employer’s retirement plan. Taking advantage of your employer’s plan is one of the best places to save.

If you do not have access to a retirement program, you can take advantage of compounding interest and a regular savings program at your local bank or investment services provider.

Below is a chart showing how quickly your savings can grow when you set aside money on a regular basis.

*Note this chart represents tax-deferred savings in a retirement type account, and does not account for taxes which will apply upon distribution of accumulated savings. Assumptions: initial investment – zero ($0), 26 pay periods, and 6.5% annual return.

Allow compound interest to work for you by starting to save as early and as often as you can!

Article sourced through SageView Advisory Group www.sageviewadvisory.com

 

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