Save Early, Save Often: Building Wealth with Compound Interest

By Stephen Fournier – KeyBank Central New York Market President

“Interest” has many uses in finances—and many uses work in your favor. For example, earning interest can help improve your overall net worth. In fact, compound interest (sometimes also called compounding interest) is one of the most powerful tools available to build wealth.

What is compound interest?

Compound interest is the process of adding interest on the principal balance and interest you’ve already earned. It works like a snowball rolling down a hill, accumulating more and more on the original amount.

This is why compound interest can help your savings or investments grow more quickly as time goes on. For example, if you save $100 per month from ages 25 to 55 in a 4% high-yield savings account with compound interest, your savings would be nearly $70,000!

Examples of accounts and investment options that allow you to take advantage of compound interest include:

Make compound interest work for you

The most important tool for compound interest is time. The sooner you begin saving or investing, the more time you will have to reap the benefits. What’s more, if you save or invest a small amount every month, compound interest can make your total grow even faster.

The easiest way to use compound interest to your benefit is to combine three actions:

Open a compound interest-bearing savings account as early as possible
Avoid making any withdrawals
Add to it every month, even if it stretches your budget

The math of compound interest

In a nutshell, compound interest means earning interest on your interest — and in the case of an investment, a return on your returns. Your rate of return applies both to the original investment (or “principal”) and to previous returns — the money you’ve earned in interest payments to date. Essentially, your money is going to work for you. Below is a breakdown of how compound interest can look:

You invest $1,000 in an account that earns compound interest at a 5% annual rate of return.

At the end of the first year:
You will have earned an extra $50 on the original invested amount.
$1,000 + (.05 x $1,000) = $1,050

At the end of the second year (if you make no additional contributions):
You will have earned on the new balance.
$1,050 + (.05 x $1,050) = $1,102.50

The 5% rate of return stays the same, but the amount you earn on top of your original $1,000 investment increases — or “compounds” — each year.

Turbo charge your savings with compound interest

In the example above, an additional $50 earned the first year and $52.50 earned the second year may not look like a large gain. But the longer your money stays invested, and the larger the contributions are, the more profoundly it will increase.

Continuing the example above with a $1,000 initial investment compounding at a rate of 5% per year:

After 10 years, you will have a $1,629 total balance

After 20 years, you will have a $2,653 total balance

Keep in mind that in this example, the $1,000 principal is the only money that you contributed into the account. If you were to contribute as little as an additional $100 into the above compound interest-bearing account each month, after 10 years, you would have $17,128 (if you make no withdrawals from the account).

The flip side of compound interest: looking at debt

Compound interest can boost your savings and investments, but it’s important to understand the other side of this concept as it applies to debt. While compound interest increases the amount you earn, the same is true for the amount you owe on a loan with a compound interest rate.

Mortgages and auto loans generally charge simple interest, where the loan balance decreases by the same amount for each interest period. But credit cards and student loans typically charge compound interest. The longer you take to pay off those balances, the more you will pay in interest to the lender. Alternatively, the sooner you can reduce your debt and start earning interest on your savings, the more you can leverage compound interest to work on your behalf.

About the author: Stephen Fournier is President of KeyBank’s Central New York Market. He may be reached at either 315-470-5096 or [email protected].

This is designed to provide general information only. All credit products are subject to collateral and/or credit approval, terms, conditions, availability and subject to change. ©2024 KeyCorp. All rights reserved. KeyBank Member FDIC. CFMA #240725-2705043

Help Pay Down Debt With These Lifestyle Changes

One of the most important things you can do if you’re carrying debt is to make a plan to pay it off. But the secret to ridding yourself of debt is to cultivate everyday habits to help you pay off what you owe and avoid going into debt in the future. Here are a few tips to help you pay down debt.

Create a Budget

The first step is calculating your monthly income along with how much you can put toward your debt. Determine exactly how much you earn each month. Then, list all of your essential expenses, such as your mortgage or rent payment, utility bills, groceries, transportation costs, and healthcare. From there, look at your non-essentials. How much do you think you need for entertainment, restaurant meals, and travel? Those categories are usually good places to consider cutting back on so you can put that money toward your debt.

Reduce Non-Essential Purchases

Track your daily expenses and review them once a week or month to see where you can further reduce spending. Maybe you’ve budgeted $100 a month for restaurant meals but realize that you don’t need to dine out as much. Trimming that category in half gives you an extra $50 a month and $600 a year you can use to pay down debt.

Search for Free Alternatives

Whenever possible, seek out free entertainment and social opportunities. Check your city’s Facebook page and the local newspaper for events, such as free movie nights, free museum days, and free festivals. Local libraries often let cardholders borrow more than just books, including free passes to area museums, zoos, and more. Farmers markets are also great places to socialize.

Start a Side Gig

Sometimes your current income isn’t enough to move the needle on your debt as quickly as you’d like. That’s when you need to look for ways to earn extra cash. Tutoring, pet sitting and dog walking, and becoming a part-time personal helper are all great ways to boost your income without sacrificing your 9-to-5 job. Taking on a side job for even a few hours a week could give you a few hundred extra dollars to put toward your debt each month.

Make Extra Payments

The next time you receive cash back rewards or score big savings while shopping, put those extra funds toward your debt. Those small amounts, combined with your regular debt payments, can make a big impact over time.