THE POWER OF COMPOUND INTEREST

One of the fundamental keys to wealth accumulation lies in understanding the concept of compound interest, a powerhouse in personal finance. But what exactly is “the power of compound interest”? In simple terms, it’s the art of earning interest on your accrued interest. Although this might sound intricate initially, once grasped, it unfolds as a surprisingly straightforward concept.

Here’s the mechanics: When you invest initially, your principal starts gathering interest. As interest accumulates, your account balance experiences steady growth. This is in stark contrast to simple interest, which is tethered to the initial investment. The result? Exponential growth in your investments over the long haul, showcasing the true power of compound interest. The principal, or the initial investment, kickstarts this process. The interest rate, whether fixed or variable, contributes to the principal during the compounding period – be it daily, monthly, or annually – establishing a new base for applied interest. The pivotal factor is time; the more time allowed, the greater the balance grows. Hence, Albert Einstein aptly dubbed compound interest the “eighth wonder of the world,” underlining its paramount role in the realm of wealth building. Understanding and harnessing this financial force is integral to securing a prosperous financial future.

Compounding interest in action using a common example of paying down debt and missing the benefit of compound interest: Let’s assume that you can save $1,000/mo. for the next 40 years. Let’s assume we can earn 8% on that money. How much is that bucket of money worth after 40 years. $3.1M! that’s an incredible amount of money. But now let’s assume that instead of saving we’re going to pay down debt with that $1,000/mo. Let’s assume we focus on debt for the next 5 years and we start saving after that. We now have 35 years to save $1,000/mo. rather than 40 years. How much do we have now? About $2.1M.  That means that waiting just 5 years is going to cost you $1M!

The bottom line: Compound interest is available to everyone but you have to save in order to benefit. The earlier you start saving, the more exponential growth can occur. Best of all, it’s never too late. You can harness the power of compound interest at any time. Talk to us today and learn how our professionals can help you take advantage of compound interest and growing your wealth.

In observance of Good Friday, OmniStar will be closed Friday, March 29th. Happy Easter!
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