Understanding the world of credit, loans, and managing your finances is a lifelong endeavor.
Credit card balances can be confusing, and there are a lot of ways to borrow money. You may be asking yourself, “What’s the best way to borrow money?” or “What’s the best way to use a credit card?”
No single answer exists to either of those questions, as the best way to borrow money or use a credit card depends on your financial situation.
Balance transfers can be a great way to save money on interest payments, but only if you can pay off the balance before the promotional period ends. If you can’t pay off the balance in time, you’ll end up paying more in interest than you would have if you hadn’t transferred the balance.
You have to deal with the annual interest rate. The annual interest rate on a loan is the percentage of the loan amount that is charged as interest each year. For example, if you borrow $10,000 at an annual interest rate of 10%, you will owe $11,000 at the end of the year, because you will have been charged 10% interest on the $10,000 loan amount.
However, some general tips can help you make the most of your credit cards and loans.
You may have already heard about how beneficial compound interest is, but for those who haven’t, here is a definition for you. Compound interest is when the interest that is earned on an investment is reinvested back into the investment, and then earns interest on that interest.
But understanding simple vs complex interest is not always clear.
What is Simple Interest?
Today, we’ll dive into the simple interest formula, complex interest, and why compound interest is preferable to simple interest.
Simple interest is a percentage of the principal amount of a loan or deposit paid. This means that simple interest remains stable over time, compared to its cousin in compound interest.
Simple interest rate is calculated by dividing the total interest amount by the total amount of the loan or deposit. Compound interest formula is a little more complicated. It calculates the total amount of interest that would be earned on a sum of money over a period of time if it were compounded annually. That total is then divided by the original sum to find the compound interest rate.
The total amount of a loan or deposit is also called the principal. This is the amount of money that is initially lent out or deposited. The total amount of interest is the amount of money that is paid in addition to the principal.
Thankfully, most student loans are based on simple interest–or else they could extend even further!
Annual student loan interest rates can be as high as 8.5%, though most loans hover around 4–6%.
Many mortgages of 30 years also use the simple interest calculation, allowing you to plan for the interest charges over a number of years. Personal loans with simple interest provide a more stable monthly payment. Simple interest is better for you as a
consumer borrowing money, so look for it when making decisions about loans and extended payment plans.
However, this type of interest is not necessarily the best for investments. When it comes to a savings account or other long-term investment, you want interest that’s continuously compounding.
One way to get compound interest plans is to invest in a mutual fund that focuses on dividend–paying stocks. These types of funds provide you with a regular stream of income, and the dividends are reinvested so that the compounding effect can work its magic.
What is Compound Interest?
Compound interest shifts over time. It is calculated using the initial principal and grows with time as interest accrues.
Compound interest formula is A=P(1+r/n)^nt, where A is the amount of money at the end of the period, P is the principal, r is the annual interest rate, n is the number of periods, and t is the time in years.
This is a big reason that loan repayment plans take care to note whether loans are distributed with simple or compound interest. Compound interest loans will continue to grow while your simple interest loans will remain stable as you pay off the compound loans first before moving on.
If you researching loans or planning on making a
significant purchase like a car, you will want to avoid compound interest loans unless you know you will be able to make the payments quickly.
Larger balance and long-term loans will have a larger total interest cost.
When it comes to investments though, you should look for ones that use a compound interest formula.
Compounding periods can be annual, monthly, daily, or even more frequent. The sooner you start investing, the more time your money will have to grow.
Why is Compound Interest Preferable to Simple Interest?
When it comes to investing your money, you want sources to calculate the interest with the compound formula. With this method, your funds will grow much faster because the interest is based on the current balance, not just the principal balance. The rate of return is much higher with compound interest, which is why it’s so helpful for investing.
Earnings from compound interest are reinvested so that the interest also earns interest. This leads to a snowballing or compounding effect, which is the focus of compound interest calculator. Initial deposits and periodic contributions are also included in the calculation.
The compound interest calculator can show you how much your money can grow over time. You can also use it to calculate how much you need to save periodically to achieve your desired goal.
But, for loans, this type of interest benefits the lender. Always make sure to inquire about the way interest works before taking a loan.
Loan interest rate is the percentage of the loan amount that is charged by the lender as a yearly rate.
The advantage of compound interest is that the loan will grow at a much faster rate than a simple interest loan. This can be helpful if you need to borrow a large sum of money and you want the loan to grow as quickly as possible.
Shiirs Can Help
While compound interest is great for investing, it’s much more difficult to calculate. Compound interest calculators can certainly help simplify the process. We have a
compound calculator to help you understand how compounding your wealth over time will benefit you in the long run far more than investing in simple interest accounts.
Predict your returns with a compound interest calculator and make sure that your initial balance will grow as you desire.
Don’t get caught out without knowing what to do with your money and scrambling to understand with deadlines looming: let Shiirs help you plan ahead. Sign up for Shiirs today!
