The Rule of 72 (with calculator) (2024)

Have you always wanted to be able to do compound interest problems in your head?Perhaps not... but it's a very useful skill to have because it gives you a lightning fast benchmark to determine how good (or not so good) a potential investment is likely to be.

The rule says that to find the number of years required to double your money at a given interest rate, you just divide the interest rate into 72.For example, if you want to know how long it will take to double your money at eight percent interest, divide 8 into 72 and get 9 years.

Y = 72 / r and r = 72 / Y

where Y and r are the years and interest rate, respectively.

Compound Interest Curve

Suppose you invest $100 at a compound interest rate of 10%.The rule of 72 tells you that your money will double every seven years, approximately:

YearsBalance
Now$100
7$200(doubles every
14$400 seven years)
21$800

If you graph these points, you start to see the familiar compound interest curve:

The Rule of 72 (with calculator) (1)

Practice using the Rule of 72

It's good to practice with the rule of 72 to get an intuitive feeling for the way compound interest works.So...

Why Stop at a Double?

There's nothing sacred about doubling your money.You can also get a simple estimate for other growth factors, as this calculator shows:

Why Does the Rule of 72 Work?

If you want to know more, see this explanation of why the rule of 72 works.(Brace yourself, because it's slightly geeked out.)

The Rule of 72 (with calculator) (2024)

FAQs

What is the Rule of 72 calculator? ›

The Rule of 72 is a way to estimate how long it will take for an investment to double at a given interest rate, assuming a fixed annual rate of interest. You simply take 72 and divide it by the interest rate number. So, if the interest rate is 6%, you would divide 72 by 6 to get 12.

Which answer is the correct calculation for the Rule of 72? ›

How the Rule of 72 Works. For example, the Rule of 72 states that $1 invested at an annual fixed interest rate of 10% would take 7.2 years ((72/10) = 7.2) to grow to $2. In reality, a 10% investment will take 7.3 years to double (1.107.3 = 2). The Rule of 72 is reasonably accurate for low rates of return.

What is the Rule of 72 and give an example of how it is calculated? ›

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. In this case, 18 years.

How much time will it take to double my money calculator? ›

Rule of 72 Formula

You can calculate the number of years to double your investment at some known interest rate by solving for t: t = 72 ÷ R.

How long will it take $1000 to double at 6 interest? ›

This means that the investment will take about 12 years to double with a 6% fixed annual interest rate. This calculator flips the 72 rule and shows what interest rate you would need to double your investment in a set number of years.

What is the rule of 70 calculator? ›

The rule of 70 is used to determine the number of years it takes for a variable to double by dividing the number 70 by the variable's growth rate. The rule of 70 is generally used to determine how long it would take for an investment to double given the annual rate of return.

How to double 1000 dollars? ›

How Can I Double $1000? If your employer offers a dollar-for-dollar match contribution, you can double $1,000 by investing it in your 401(k). Other than that, there's no easy or risk-free way to double $1,000—you can invest the money in individual stocks, but there will be risks involved.

How long does it take for $100,000 to double? ›

Let's say you have an investment balance of $100,000, and you want to know how long it will take to get it to $200,000 without adding any more funds. With an estimated annual return of 7%, you'd divide 72 by 7 to see that your investment will double every 10.29 years.

What is the Rule of 72 worksheet? ›

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.

Why is the Rule of 72 useful if the answer will not be exact? ›

The rule of 72 can help you get a rough estimate of how long it will take you to double your money at a fixed annual interest rate. If you have an average rate of return and a current balance, you can project how long your investments will take to double.

What is the Rule of 72 useful in calculating quizlet? ›

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

How to double $2000 dollars in 24 hours? ›

Try Flipping Things

Another way to double your $2,000 in 24 hours is by flipping items. This method involves buying items at a lower price and selling them for a profit. You can start by looking for items that are in high demand or have a high resale value. One popular option is to start a retail arbitrage business.

Is the Rule of 72 accurate? ›

The rule of 72 is only an approximation that is accurate for a range of interest rate (from 6% to 10%). Outside that range the error will vary from 2.4% to 14.0%. It turns out that for every three percentage points away from 8% the value 72 could be adjusted by 1.

Why does the Rule of 72 work? ›

The value 72 is a convenient choice of numerator, since it has many small divisors: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, and 12. It provides a good approximation for annual compounding, and for compounding at typical rates (from 6% to 10%); the approximations are less accurate at higher interest rates.

How much will $50,000 amount to in 3 years? ›

Hence, the amount will be Rs. 62,964. How much will ₹50,000 amount in 3 years compounded yearly, if the rates for the successive years are 6%, 8% and 10% respectively?

How long will it take to increase a $2200 investment to $10,000 if the interest rate is 6.5 percent? ›

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%.

What is rule 72 and 69? ›

Rules of 72, 69.3, and 69

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.

How long will it take you to double $2000 at a 6% interest rate compounded annually? ›

It will take 12 years to double an investment if it grows interest rate 6% compundl…

How many years would it take money to grow from $5000 to $10000 if it could earn 6% interest? ›

Final answer:

It would take approximately 11.90 years for the money to grow from $5,000 to $10,000 with a 6% interest rate.

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