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10 Nominal Rates of Interest and Discount
Often banks credit interest more than once per year.
Examples of Compounding Interest more than once/year
Semi‐annual – twice per year
Quarterly – four times per year
Monthly – twelve times per year
Bimonthly – once every two months (or six times per year)
Semimonthly – twice a month (or 24 times per year)
Let’s assume the bank credits interest m times in a single
year.
Definition We will denote the nominal (annual) interest
(m)
rate compounded m times per year by i .
(m)
The word “nominal” means that the interest rate i is
annual in name only. That is, the bank pays interest at the
(m)
i
rate of after each m ‐th of a year, which is then
m
reinvested into the account.
Note: The terms convertible or payable are equivalent to
the term compounded. Any one of these 3 terms may be
used.
M329F, §1.10, p. 1
Let i be the (usual) effective interest rate for the above
investment scheme. Banks report this effective interest rate
as the annual percentage yield or APY.
Fact: If an account is governed by a nominal interest rate of
(m)
i payable m times per year, then the bank pays
(m)
i 1
m
It follows from this fact that
m
i (m)
m (1 i ) 1
1
(m)
i m
and i 1 1.
m
m
i(m)
This last equation implies that i 1 1 , which tells
m
us that for each invested dollar, the investor earns 1 i at
the end of the year.
Additionally, after every m ‐th of the year, the money grows
i(m)
by a factor of 1 .
m
Since there are m such compoundings in a single year the
m
i(m)
final amount of the money equals 1 .
m
M329F, §1.10, p. 2
Class Example 1.10.1
Find the accumulated value of $500 invested for five years
at 8% nominal interest compounded quarterly.
Note: The formulas work even if m is not an integer. For
example, suppose interest is payable biennially. (Biennially
means once every two years.) See Example 1.10.7 in text.
Now let’s consider nominal rates of discount.
Definition We will denote the nominal discount rate
(m)
compounded m times per year by d .
We let d be the annual discount rate. Then, we have
m
d (m)
1 d 1
m
m
d (m)
and d 1 1 .
m
m 1 (1 d ) m .
(m) 1
Therefore, d
M329F, §1.10, p. 3
For equivalent discount and interest rates, we have
d (m) i(m)
1 1 1.
m m
Note: Algebra gives us many different forms of this last
equation. Different versions are useful in different contexts.
See equations 1.10.10 through 1.10.13 in the text.
One Equation Connecting Nominal & Effective Discount
and Interest Rates:
n p
i(n) d
( p)
1 i 1 d 1
1
1
n p
The above equation allows us to compare the outcomes of
different contracts.
(m) (m)
Important Fact: If i 0 and m 1, then i i d d .
M329F, §1.10, p. 4
Class Example 1.10.2
Bank Mann offers a savings account with an annual
effective interest rate of i 6% . Find the annual effective
( 4)
discount rate d , the nominal discount rate d , and the
(12)
nominal interest rate i . Then rank the four quantities i ,
( 4) (12)
d , d , and i in decreasing order.
M329F, §1.10, p. 5
Recall: We define a two rates to be equivalent for an
interval [t1,t2 ] if they produce the same accumulated
value at time t2 for $1 invested at time t1 .
Interest Conversion Worksheet of the BA II Plus Calculator
Allows us to change from an effective interest/discount rate
to an equivalent nominal interest/discount rate (or vice
versa)
To open the Interest Conversion Worksheet of the BA II
Plus calculator: [2nd][ICONV]
(m)
A) i i Nominal Effective
Class Example 1.10.3
Use the Interest Conversion Worksheet of your calculator to
find an annual effective interest rate equivalent to a
nominal rate of interest of 2.5% convertible quarterly.
M329F, §1.10, p. 6
(m)
B) i i Effective Nominal
Open the Interest Conversion worksheet: [2nd][ICONV]
Move to “EFF”: [↓]
Class Example 1.10.4
Use the Interest Conversion Worksheet of your calculator to
find a nominal interest rate convertible semimonthly that is
equivalent to an annual effective interest rate of 5% .
(m)
C) d d Nominal Effective
M329F, §1.10, p. 7
(m)
D) d d Effective Nominal
(m) (m)
(For d d and d d see text examples.)
Class Example 1.10.5
Find the accumulated value of $3,690 at the end of ten
years if the nominal rate of discount is 2.5% convertible
quarterly for the first four years, the nominal rate of
interest is 5% convertible monthly for the next two years,
and the effective rate of discount is 6.3% for the last four
years.
M329F, §1.10, p. 8