What is the formula for interest rate

To calculate interest rate, start by multiplying your principal, which is the amount of money before interest, by the time period involved (weeks, months, years, etc.). Write that number down, then divide the amount of paid interest from that month or year by that number. The answer is your interest rate, but it will be in decimal format. Multiply the decimal by 100 to convert the interest rate to a percentage. If you want to learn more, like how to talk to your banker about getting a lower interest rate, keep reading the article!

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What is the formula for interest rate

Photos by Getty Images; Illustration by Orli Friedman/Bankrate

6 min read Published December 02, 2022

Written by

Michelle Black

Written by Michelle BlackArrow RightContributing writer

Michelle Lambright Black is a credit expert with over 19 years of experience, a freelance writer and a certified credit expert witness. In addition to writing for Bankrate, Michelle's work is featured with numerous publications including FICO, Experian, Forbes, U.S. News & World Report and Reader’s Digest, among others.

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Michelle Black

Edited by

Aylea Wilkins

Edited by Aylea WilkinsArrow RightLoans Editor, Former Insurance Editor

Aylea Wilkins is an editor specializing in personal and home equity loans. She has previously worked for Bankrate editing content about auto, home and life insurance. She has been editing professionally for nearly a decade in a variety of fields with a primary focus on helping people make financial and purchasing decisions with confidence by providing clear and unbiased information.

An interest rate formula calculates the repayment amounts for loans and interest over investment on fixed deposits, mutual funds, etc. It is also used to calculate interest on a credit card.

When a lender lends any amount to the borrower for a specific period, known as the principal amount over that lender’s charge interest, that percentage of principle is known as the interest rate. In simple words, the interest rate is the rate at which the lender charges the amount over the principal landed by the lender. The interest rate is directly proportional to risk, as risk is involved when a lender lends an amount to the borrower. It is also called compensation for an opportunity lost.

In terms of investment, interest is paid on bank deposit investments like fixed, recurring, and even on the amount deposited in a savings bank account. Bank pays interest half-yearly on saving account deposits. In contrast, for fixed and recurring deposits, interest is paid based on customer request, which could be monthly, quarterly, half annually, or yearly. And the interest rate applied for one year is the annual interest.

There are two types of interest rate formula:-

  • Simple Interest FormulaSimple Interest FormulaSimple Interest (SI) is a way of calculating the amount of interest that is to be paid on the principal and is calculated by multiplying the principal amount with the rate of interest and the number of periods for which the interest has to be paid.read more
  • Compound Interest Formula

Table of contents
  • Formula to Calculate Interest Rate
    • Simple Interest Rate Formula
      • Example
    • Compound Interest Formula
      • Example
    • Use and Relevance
    • Recommended Articles

Simple Interest Rate Formula

Simple interestSimple InterestSimple interest (SI) refers to the percentage of interest charged or yielded on the principal sum for a specific period.read more is levied when a loan is borrowed for one year or less. Simple interest is generally applied for the short term.

Simple Interest Rate = (Principle * Rate of Interest * Time Period (years))/ 100

What is the formula for interest rate

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For eg:
Source: Interest Rate Formula (wallstreetmojo.com)

In simple in it also written as,

Simple Interest rate = (P*R*T)/100

You can download this Interest Rate Formula Excel Template here – Interest Rate Formula Excel Template

Example

A borrower borrows $1000 from a lender for nine months at an interest rate of 12%. Now, we will calculate the simple interest rate to be paid to a lender on a principal amount of $1000.

  • Simple Interest
What is the formula for interest rate
What is the formula for interest rate

The interest payableInterest PayableInterest Payable is the amount of expense that has been incurred but not yet paid. It is a liability that appears on the company's balance sheet.read more to the lender is $90, and the principal amount is $1000. The total amount payable to a lender is $1090.

What is the formula for interest rate

Compound Interest Formula

Compound interest Compound Interest Compound interest is the interest charged on the sum of the principal amount and the total interest amassed on it so far. It plays a crucial role in generating higher rewards from an investment.read moreis called “interest on interest.” It is calculated on the principal amount, and of the time period, it changes with time.

The time period, it changes with time.

Compound Interest Rate = P (1+i) t – P

Where,

  • P = Principle
  • i= Annual interest rate
  • t= number of compounding period for a year
  • i =  r
  • n = number of times interest is compounded per year
  • r = Interest rate (In decimal)

Total amount payable to be lender = P (1+i) t

Example

A borrower took a personal loan from ABC bank, he borrowed $5000 amount from a bank at the interest rate of 10%, for a time period of 5 years, compounded yearly then compound interest will be:

  • Compound Interest
What is the formula for interest rate

So from the above calculation of Compound Interest will be:

What is the formula for interest rate

Use and Relevance

  • An interest rate formula helps one understand loans and investments and decide. These days financial bodies like banks use the Compound interest formula to calculate interest. Compounded annual growth rate, i.e., CAGR, is used mostly for financial applications where single growth for a period needs to be calculated.

This article has been a guide to Interest Rate Formula. Here we discuss how to calculate Simple and Compound Interest rates in Excel using practical examples and downloadable templates. You can learn more about financial analysis from the following articles –

  • Daily Compound InterestDaily Compound InterestDaily Compound Interest refers to the total interest amount, including the amount of interest earned on the initial principal & the amount of interest earned daily. It might be higher than Monthly or Quarterly Compound Interest due to the high compounding frequency. read more
  • Nominal Interest Rate FormulaNominal Interest Rate FormulaNominal Interest rate refers to the interest rate without the adjustment of inflation. It is a short term interest rate which is used by the central banks to issue loans.

    How to calculate the interest rate?

    SI = (P x R x T) / 100 R = Rate of interest. T = Time period (investment or loan repayment)

    What is the formula of rate in simple interest?

    Simple interest is calculated by multiplying the interest rate by the principal amount and the time period which is generally in years. The S.I. formula is given as: Simple Interest (SI) = P × T × R ⁄ 100.

    What is the rate formula?

    However, it's easier to use a handy formula: rate equals distance divided by time: r = d/t.