How Does Compound Interest Work?
When you save money, you will earn interest on the original deposit. However, you also earn interest on that interest. All of the total interest you earn, on the initial investment its interest, make up compound interest.
If you begin with $100 and earn 2% interest, you earn $2 during the first compounding period. For the next period, you start with $102, so 2% will be slightly more than $2. Since the balance of the account grows during each compounding period, the amount of interest added also increases. This cycle is compound interest.
Based on the way compound interest works, accounts with high interest will increase their balance quicker than those with low yields. To find great interest rates, check out our list of high-interest accounts.