The length of time the money stays in the account. Storylines to Explore The Power of Compounding
Create a simple line chart to see when interest begins to outpace your monthly contributions. Download APY CHAT xlsx
Compare your APY against the current inflation rate. If the inflation rate is higher than your APY, the "story" is that you are actually losing purchasing power, even though your balance is increasing. Quick Analysis Tips The length of time the money stays in the account
The initial investment or starting balance. Download APY CHAT xlsx
Compare a standard savings account (0.01% APY) against a High-Yield Savings Account (4.00%+ APY). The spreadsheet will show a dramatic "hockey stick" curve where the gap between the two grows exponentially over 10+ years. The "Wait" Cost