Simple Interest

Learning Outcomes

  • Calculate one-time simple interest, and simple interest over time
  • Determine APY given an interest scenario
  • Calculate compound interest

Principal and Interest

Discussing interest starts with the principal, or amount your account starts with. This could be a starting investment, or the starting amount of a loan. Interest, in its most simple form, is calculated as a percent of the principal. For example, if you borrowed $100 from a friend and agree to repay it with 5% interest, then the amount of interest you would pay would just be 5% of 100: $100(0.05) = $5. The total amount you would repay would be $105, the original principal plus the interest.

four rolled-up dollar bills seeming to grow out of dirt, with a miniature rake lying in between them

Simple One-time Interest

I=P0rA=P0+I=P0+P0r=P0(1+r)

  • I is the interest
  • A is the end amount: principal plus interest
  • P0 is the principal (starting amount)
  • r is the interest rate (in decimal form. Example: 5% = 0.05)

Examples

A friend asks to borrow $300 and agrees to repay it in 30 days with 3% interest. How much interest will you earn?

The following video works through this example in detail.

 

One-time simple interest is only common for extremely short-term loans. For longer term loans, it is common for interest to be paid on a daily, monthly, quarterly, or annual basis. In that case, interest would be earned regularly.

For example, bonds are essentially a loan made to the bond issuer (a company or government) by you, the bond holder. In return for the loan, the issuer agrees to pay interest, often annually. Bonds have a maturity date, at which time the issuer pays back the original bond value.

Exercises

Suppose your city is building a new park, and issues bonds to raise the money to build it. You obtain a $1,000 bond that pays 5% interest annually that matures in 5 years. How much interest will you earn?

Further explanation about solving this example can be seen here.

We can generalize this idea of simple interest over time.

Simple Interest over Time

I=P0rtA=P0+I=P0+P0rt=P0(1+rt)

  • I is the interest
  • A is the end amount: principal plus interest
  • P0 is the principal (starting amount)
  • r is the interest rate in decimal form
  • t is time

The units of measurement (years, months, etc.) for the time should match the time period for the interest rate.

 

APR – Annual Percentage Rate

Interest rates are usually given as an annual percentage rate (APR) – the total interest that will be paid in the year. If the interest is paid in smaller time increments, the APR will be divided up.

For example, a 6% APR paid monthly would be divided into twelve 0.5% payments.
6÷12=0.5

A 4% annual rate paid quarterly would be divided into four 1% payments.
4÷4=1

Example

Treasury Notes (T-notes) are bonds issued by the federal government to cover its expenses. Suppose you obtain a $1,000 T-note with a 4% annual rate, paid semi-annually, with a maturity in 4 years. How much interest will you earn?

This video explains the solution.

Try It

Try It

A loan company charges $30 interest for a one month loan of $500. Find the annual interest rate they are charging.

Try It