The Rule of 72 (with calculator) (2024)

FAQs

The Rule of 72 (with calculator)? ›

Calculator Use

It's an easy way to calculate just how long it's going to take for your money to double. Just take the number 72 and divide it by the interest rate you hope to earn. That number gives you the approximate number of years it will take for your investment to double.

The Rule of 72 is a simple way to determine how long an investment will take to double given a fixed annual rate of interest. Dividing 72 by the annual rate of return gives investors a rough estimate of how many years it will take for the initial investment to duplicate itself.

The rule is this: 72 divided by the interest rate number equals the number of years for the investment to double in size. For example, if the interest rate is 12%, you would divide 72 by 12 to get 6. This means that the investment will take about 6 years to double with a 12% fixed annual interest rate.

Simply put, the Rule of 72 offers a quick and straightforward method for investors to estimate the number of years required to double their money at a consistent rate of return. The formula is simple. You divide 72 by your expected annual rate of return.

Use the Rule of 72 to estimate how long it will take to double an investment at a given interest rate. Divide 72 by the interest rate to see how long it will take to double your money on an investment. Alternatively you can calculate what interest rate you need to double your investment within a certain time period.

The Rule of 72 is a calculation that estimates the number of years it takes to double your money at a specified rate of return. If, for example, your account earns 4 percent, divide 72 by 4 to get the number of years it will take for your money to double.

For example, if an investment scheme promises an 8% annual compounded rate of return, it will take approximately nine years (72 / 8 = 9) to double the invested money. Note that a compound annual return of 8% is plugged into this equation as 8, and not 0.08, giving a result of nine years (and not 900).

For higher rates, a larger numerator would be better (e.g., for 20%, using 76 to get 3.8 years would be only about 0.002 off, where using 72 to get 3.6 would be about 0.2 off). This is because, as above, the rule of 72 is only an approximation that is accurate for interest rates from 6% to 10%.

dividing 72 by the interest rate will show you how long it will take your money to double.

Does money double every 7 years? ›

Examples of the Rule of 72

Given a 10% annual rate of return, how long will it take for your money to double? Take 72 and divide it by 10 and you get 7.2. This means, at a 10% fixed annual rate of return, your money doubles every 7 years.

The rule of 70 calculates the years it takes for an investment to double in value. It is calculated by dividing the number 70 by the investment's growth rate. The calculation is commonly used to compare investments with different annual interest rates.

The Rule of 72 is a convenient method to estimate the approximate time for invested capital to double in value. By merely taking the number 72 and dividing it by the rate of return (or interest rate) expected to be earned, the output is the approximate number of years for an investment to double.

To turn $5,000 into more money, explore various investment avenues like the stock market, real estate or a high-yield savings account for lower-risk growth. Investing in a small business or startup could also provide significant returns if the business is successful.

Final answer:

It will take approximately 15.27 years to increase the $2,200 investment to $10,000 at an annual interest rate of 6.5%.

So, if the interest rate is 6%, you would divide 72 by 6 to get 12. This means that the investment will take about 12 years to double with a 6% fixed annual interest rate.

The Rule of 72 states that by dividing 72 by the annual interest rate, you can estimate the number of years required for an investment to double. ● The Rule of 69.3 is a more accurate formula for higher interest rates and is calculated by dividing 69.3 by the interest rate.