You want to earn as much interest as possible on your savings but not pay more than you have to when you borrow. One of the biggest factors in both is whether you’re accruing simple or compound interest.

Simple Interest: Calculated annually on the amount you deposit or owe.

Compound Interest: Interest earned is added to the principal, forming a new base on which the next round of interest is calculated. This can accrue daily, monthly, or quarterly.

Enter the starting balance and use the sliders to adjust the monthly contribution, interest rate, and years. The graph will demonstrate the growth of the principal and interest earned/owned with simple interest vs compound interest.

Information and interactive calculators are made available to you as self-help tools for your independent use. We cannot and do not guarantee their accuracy, their applicability to your circumstances or guarantee of credit. We encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding all personal finance issues.