Suppose you have $11,000 to invest. Which of the two rates would yield the larger amount in 2 years: 11%

compounded monthly or 10.92% compounded continuously?

Which of the two rates would yield the larger amount in 2 years?

11% compounded monthly
10.92% compounded continuously

1 answer

To determine which of the two investment rates yields a larger amount after 2 years, we can calculate the final amount for both options.

Option 1: 11% Compounded Monthly

For monthly compounding, the formula used is:

\[ A = P \left(1 + \frac{r}{n}\right)^{nt} \]

Where:

  • \( A \) is the amount of money accumulated after n years, including interest.
  • \( P \) is the principal amount (the initial amount of money).
  • \( r \) is the annual interest rate (decimal).
  • \( n \) is the number of times that interest is compounded per year.
  • \( t \) is the number of years the money is invested or borrowed.

Given:

  • \( P = 11000 \)
  • \( r = 0.11 \) (11%)
  • \( n = 12 \) (monthly compounding)
  • \( t = 2 \)

Plugging the values into the formula:

\[ A = 11000 \left(1 + \frac{0.11}{12}\right)^{12 \times 2} \]

Calculating \( \frac{0.11}{12} \):

\[ \frac{0.11}{12} \approx 0.00916667 \]

Now substituting into the equation:

\[ A = 11000 \left(1 + 0.00916667\right)^{24} \] \[ A = 11000 \left(1.00916667\right)^{24} \]

Calculating \( (1.00916667)^{24} \):

\[ (1.00916667)^{24} \approx 1.233 \]

Now calculating \( A \):

\[ A \approx 11000 \times 1.233 \approx 13563 \]

Option 2: 10.92% Compounded Continuously

For continuous compounding, the formula is:

\[ A = Pe^{rt} \]

Where:

  • \( e \) is the base of the natural logarithm (approximately equal to 2.71828).
  • All other variables are as defined previously.

Given:

  • \( r = 0.1092 \) (10.92%)

Substituting in the values:

\[ A = 11000 \cdot e^{0.1092 \times 2} \]

Calculating the exponent:

\[ 0.1092 \times 2 = 0.2184 \]

Now calculating \( e^{0.2184} \):

\[ e^{0.2184} \approx 1.243 \]

Now calculating \( A \):

\[ A \approx 11000 \cdot 1.243 \approx 13673 \]

Summary of Results

  • For 11% compounded monthly: \( A \approx 13563 \)
  • For 10.92% compounded continuously: \( A \approx 13673 \)

Conclusion

The option of 10.92% compounded continuously yields a larger amount after 2 years compared to 11% compounded monthly.