An investor puts $803.00 in an account that pays 4.00% APR with continuous compounding. What is the future value of this investment in five years?

1 answer

To calculate the future value of an investment with continuous compounding, you can use the formula:

\[ FV = P \times e^{rt} \]

where:

  • \(FV\) is the future value,
  • \(P\) is the principal amount (initial investment),
  • \(r\) is the annual interest rate (as a decimal),
  • \(t\) is the time in years,
  • \(e\) is the base of the natural logarithm (approximately equal to 2.71828).

In this case, you have:

  • \(P = 803.00\)
  • \(r = 4.00% = 0.04\)
  • \(t = 5\) years

Now you can plug these values into the formula:

\[ FV = 803.00 \times e^{(0.04 \times 5)} \]

First, calculate \(0.04 \times 5\):

\[ 0.04 \times 5 = 0.20 \]

Now calculate \(e^{0.20}\):

\[ e^{0.20} \approx 1.2214 \]

Now calculate the future value:

\[ FV = 803.00 \times 1.2214 \approx 980.44 \]

Therefore, the future value of the investment in five years is approximately $980.44.