This simple formula tells you how long it will take for your money to double—while you sit back and relax (2024)

If you put your money in the right places, it can grow substantially over time, thanks to the power of compound interest. It could even double, while you don't have to do a thing.

Want to figure out just how fast your money could grow? The "Rule of 72" approximates how many years it will take for your money to double, given a fixed rate of return.

"Think about your savings for the future," Tom Mathews and Steve Siebold write in their book "How Money Works," which highlights the "Rule of 72" as of one of three essential personal finance topics to understand (the other two being compound interest and the time value of money). "The Rule of 72 can give you an idea of how many doubles you'll get in your lifetime. With more time, a lower interest rate may give you enough to nail your goals. With less time, you may need a higher interest rate."

The formula is simple: 72 / interest rate = years to double

Try plugging in various interest rates from the different accounts your money is in, from savings and money market accounts to index and mutual funds. For example, if your account earns:

1%, it will take 72 years for your money to double (72 / 1 = 72)
3%, it will take 24 years for your money to double (72 / 3 = 24)
6%, it will take 12 years for your money to double (72 / 6 = 12)
9%, it will take 8 years for your money to double (72 / 9 = 8)
12%, it will take 6 years for your money to double (72 / 12 = 6)

If your money sits in a standard savings account and earns just 0.09% (the average interest rate for savings accounts nationwide), it would take 800 years to double.

If you have extra savings, you're probably better off keeping it in a high-yield savings account or certificate of deposit, which both offer significantly higher interest rates, up to 2.69%.

If you invest your money in the stock market, whether through an employer-sponsored 401(k) plan, a traditional or Roth IRA, an individual brokerage account or somewhere else, you'll likely see even bigger returns. The average annualized total return for the S&P 500 index over the past 90 years is 9.8%. Adjusted for inflation, it still comes to an annual return of around 7% to 8%. If you earn 7%, your money will double in a little over 10 years.

This simple formula tells you how long it will take for your money to double—while you sit back and relax (1)

VIDEO2:1502:15

How compound interest works

You can also use the Rule of 72 to plug in interest rates from credit card debt, a car loan, home mortgage, or student loan to figure out how many years it'll take your money to double for someone else.

For example, the average interest rate for credit cards is 17.3%. If you divide 72 by that rate, you get 4.16 years. That's all it takes for a credit card company to earn double your money. The higher the interest rate, the more you'll owe to your lenders.

If you have debt, look into the possibility of refinancing your car loan or mortgage to get a lower interest rate.

The "Rule of 72" is "a practical eye opener that forces you to ask shrewd questions before making important money decisions," Mathews and Siebold write. If you understand and apply it to your personal finances, "you're less likely to fall for gimmicky promotions from banks, settle for opportunities that don't give you the advantage, and take on debt that might take forever to pay off."

Don't miss: Most Americans don't understand a money term that can help you save hundreds of thousands of dollars

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This simple formula tells you how long it will take for your money to double—while you sit back and relax (2)

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David Bach: This simple chart changed the way I think about money

This simple formula tells you how long it will take for your money to double—while you sit back and relax (2024)

FAQs

This simple formula tells you how long it will take for your money to double—while you sit back and relax? ›

Do you know the Rule of 72? It's an easy way to calculate just how long it's going to take for your money to double. Just take the number 72 and divide it by the interest rate you hope to earn. That number gives you the approximate number of years it will take for your investment to double.

What is the formula for calculating how long it will take your money to double? ›

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.

What is a formula that helps you know when your money will double in value? ›

How Do You Calculate the Rule of 72? Here's how the Rule of 72 works. You take the number 72 and divide it by the investment's projected annual return. The result is the number of years, approximately, it'll take for your money to double.

What is a simple way to figure out how to double your money in a savings account or an investment? ›

It's called the Rule of 72. The principle is simple. Divide 72 by the annual rate of return to figure how long it will take to double your money. For example, if you earn an 8 percent annual return, it will take about 9 years to double.

What is a simplified formula to determine the number of years required to double your money at a given interest rate? ›

The Rule of 72 is a simple way to determine how long an investment will take to double given a fixed annual rate of interest. Dividing 72 by the annual rate of return gives investors a rough estimate of how many years it will take for the initial investment to duplicate itself.

What is the formula for fund double? ›

Number of years to double the money = 72 / Interest Rate

The doubling period calculation can be done by “Rule of 72” if you invest money in different investment options like fixed deposits, savings accounts, mutual funds, etc.

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

Use the Rule of 72 to estimate how long it will take to double an investment at a given interest rate. Divide 72 by the interest rate to see how long it will take to double your money on an investment. Alternatively you can calculate what interest rate you need to double your investment within a certain time period.

What is the doubling money trick? ›

The Rule of 72 is a well-known shortcut for calculating how long it will take for an investment to double if its growth compounds annually. Just divide 72 by your expected annual rate of return. The result is the number of years it will take you to double your money.

What is the formula for doubling time of investments? ›

Do you know the Rule of 72? It's an easy way to calculate just how long it's going to take for your money to double. Just take the number 72 and divide it by the interest rate you hope to earn. That number gives you the approximate number of years it will take for your investment to double.

What is the mathematical formula for doubling? ›

The Rule of 70 is a simplified way of determining the doubling time using the equation, doubling time = 70 / r , where r is the rate of growth for a population in percent. For example, if a population of 10 species were growing by two individuals a year, the r value would be 20%.

How to invest $5000 dollars for quick return? ›

Here are seven of the best ways to invest $5,000:
  1. S&P 500 index funds.
  2. Nasdaq-100 index ETFs.
  3. International index funds.
  4. Sector ETFs.
  5. Thematic ETFs.
  6. Real estate investment trusts (REITs).
  7. Investing with the greats.
Mar 1, 2024

How long does it take to double your money in the S&P 500? ›

We saw in the previous section that investing in the S&P 500 has historically allowed investors to double their money about every six or seven years. Your initial $1,000 investment will grow to $2,000 by year 7, $4,000 by year 14, and $6,000 by year 18.

How to double $2000 dollars in 24 hours? ›

The Best Ways To Double Money In 24 Hours
  1. Flip Stuff For Profit.
  2. Start A Retail Arbitrage Business.
  3. Invest In Real Estate.
  4. Play Games For Money.
  5. Invest In Dividend Stocks & ETFs.
  6. Use Crypto Interest Accounts.
  7. Start A Side Hustle.
  8. Invest In Your 401(k)
6 days ago

Which simple formula tells you how long it will take for your money to double while you sit back and relax? ›

The math behind this rule of 72 calculation is as follows: Calculation: 72 / Rate of Return = Years to Double. Example: 72 / 10% = 7.2 Years to Double.

What is the formula for calculating how long it will take a sum of money to double? ›

The Basics

To figure out how long it will take to double your money, take the fixed annual interest rate and divide that number into 72. Let's say your interest rate is 8%. 72 ∕ 8 = 9, so it will take about 9 years to double your money.

What is the equation that tells you how long it will take to double your money at a given interest or return rate? ›

Simply put, the Rule of 72 offers a quick and straightforward method for investors to estimate the number of years required to double their money at a consistent rate of return. The formula is simple. You divide 72 by your expected annual rate of return.

What is the 8 4 3 rule of compounding? ›

The rule of 8-4-3 when it comes to compounding indicates a style of investment that accelerates growth with time. Initially, a corpus doubles within 8 years through an average annual return of 12% subsequently another doubling happens for the same period after another 4 years following its initial setting up.

What is the rule of 69 formula? ›

It's used to calculate the doubling time or growth rate of investment or business metrics. This helps accountants to predict how long it will take for a value to double. The rule of 69 is simple: divide 69 by the growth rate percentage. It will then tell you how many periods it'll take for the value to double.

How long does it take to double your money at 20%? ›

Why it Pays to Know the Math
Rate of ReturnRule of 72 # of Years to Double MoneyLogarithmic Formula # of Years to Double Money
17%4.24.4
18%4.04.2
19%3.84.0
20%3.63.8
15 more rows
Sep 14, 2023

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