• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Free ACCA & CIMA online courses from OpenTuition

Free ACCA & CIMA online courses from OpenTuition

Free Notes, Lectures, Tests and Forums for ACCA and CIMA exams

  • ACCA
  • CIMA
  • FIA
  • OBU
  • Books
  • Forums
  • Ask AI
  • Search
  • Register
  • Login
  • ACCA Forums
  • Ask ACCA Tutor
  • CIMA Forums
  • Ask CIMA Tutor
  • FIA
  • OBU
  • Buy/Sell Books
  • All Forums
  • Latest Topics

20% off ACCA & CIMA Books

OpenTuition recommends the new interactive BPP books for March and June 2025 exams.
Get your discount code >>

Effective Annual Rate of Interest

Forums › Ask ACCA Tutor Forums › Ask the Tutor ACCA MA – FIA FMA › Effective Annual Rate of Interest

  • This topic has 8 replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 3 years ago by John Moffat.
Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • March 6, 2019 at 12:25 am #507886
    kingkongsajang
    Member
    • Topics: 95
    • Replies: 75
    • ☆☆

    What is the effective annual rate of interest of 2.1% that is compounded every 3 months?

    A. 6.43%
    B. 8.40%
    C. 8.67%
    D. 10.87%

    The answer I get is (1 + 0.021/4)^4 – 1 = 0.212 or 2.12% but this is not part of the answer why?? where have i gone wrong? i think the question is wrong.

    March 6, 2019 at 5:56 am #507936
    John Moffat
    Keymaster
    • Topics: 57
    • Replies: 54662
    • ☆☆☆☆☆

    If the interest is 2.1% every 3 months, then the annual rate is 1.021^4 – 1 = 0.0867

    November 29, 2021 at 2:25 pm #642009
    mammuna
    Member
    • Topics: 7
    • Replies: 12
    • ☆

    Hi
    I am struggling with understanding the same question.
    Why are different formulas used to calculate effective interest rate in other questions?

    In some questions treatment is as below:
    If the nominal interest rate was 10% per year compounded on a monthly basis then the formula used is
    r=(1+i/n)^n -1
    r =((1+0.1/12)^12 )-1 =0.1047 ×100= 10.47%

    So why in above question we are using (1+r)^n -1

    I am obviously missing something that sets these 2 examples apart to grant different treatment.

    Any help will be much appreciated.

    November 29, 2021 at 2:41 pm #642010
    mammuna
    Member
    • Topics: 7
    • Replies: 12
    • ☆

    And below is an answer from the other tutors here on this website for the same question as but giving a different answer to you.
    ”
    Ken Garrett
    Keymaster
    Topics: 10
    Replies: 9641
    ?????
    It’s an error and it should be:

    (1 + 0.021/4)^4 – 1 = 0.021166 ”

    I am so confused. Kindly help
    Thankyou

    November 29, 2021 at 5:45 pm #642031
    John Moffat
    Keymaster
    • Topics: 57
    • Replies: 54662
    • ☆☆☆☆☆

    The implication is the original question is that the interest rate is 2.1% every three months – not that it is 2.1% per year. We know this because it says that the 2.1% is compounded every three months (and does not say that it is 2.1% per year).

    If the interest rate had been given as being 2.1% per year then we would have divided by 4.

    If Ken had written somewhere as you have typed, then he must have misread the question.

    December 5, 2021 at 1:59 pm #642601
    mammuna
    Member
    • Topics: 7
    • Replies: 12
    • ☆

    Thankyou for your reply. I appreciate you explaining it to me but I am still confused because in many questions available in book when interest rate is compounded monthly then the interest rate is divided by 12 , but when compounded every 3 months thes interest rate is not divided by 4. Hence the confusion as to why 2 separate treatment is shown in the book.
    For example:
    In the book its is given as an illustration that:

    If the nominal interest rate was 10% per year compounded on a monthly basis then the formula used is
    r=(1+i/n)^n -1
    r =((1+0.1/12)^12 )-1 =0.1047 ×100= 10.47%

    As above we are compounding every 12 months so why use a different formula when compounding quarterly?

    Again I apologise that i am unable to understand whats the difference.
    Thanks in advance.

    December 5, 2021 at 3:51 pm #642618
    John Moffat
    Keymaster
    • Topics: 57
    • Replies: 54662
    • ☆☆☆☆☆

    It is not a question of there being a different formula.

    When the interest is compounded quarterly then we need the interest rate charged each quarter. If the question gives the interest each quester then you use it. If the question gives the interest rate per year, then we divide by 4 to get the interest rate charged each quarter (and this is the case in the first question).

    When the interest rate is compounded monthly then we need the interest rate charged each month. If the question gives the interest rate per month then you use it (and that is the case in the second question). If the question had given the interest rate per year then we would divide by 12 to get the interest rate charged each month.

    Do watch my free lectures on interest because the examiner is keen to test that you understand what is happening and are not just learning formulas.

    December 7, 2021 at 3:06 pm #642912
    mammuna
    Member
    • Topics: 7
    • Replies: 12
    • ☆

    Oh I finally got it. Thankyou for such a detailed and well written explanation.
    I appreciate your help very much.
    I will look into your lectures aswell.
    Thanks again

    December 7, 2021 at 3:57 pm #642926
    John Moffat
    Keymaster
    • Topics: 57
    • Replies: 54662
    • ☆☆☆☆☆

    You are welcome 🙂

  • Author
    Posts
Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)
  • The topic ‘Effective Annual Rate of Interest’ is closed to new replies.

Primary Sidebar

Donate
If you have benefited from our materials, please donate

ACCA News:

ACCA My Exam Performance for non-variant

Applied Skills exams is available NOW

ACCA Options:  “Read the Mind of the Marker” articles

Subscribe to ACCA’s Student Accountant Direct

ACCA CBE 2025 Exams

How was your exam, and what was the exam result?

BT CBE exam was.. | MA CBE exam was..
FA CBE exam was.. | LW CBE exam was..

Donate

If you have benefited from OpenTuition please donate.

PQ Magazine

Latest Comments

  • Nashra30 on CIMA E1 Chapter 3 Test
  • azubair on Financial Performance Measurement – ACCA Performance Management (PM)
  • j.akshaya on Group SFP – Example (Basic consolidation) – ACCA Financial Reporting (FR)
  • rishitxx on ACCA BT Chapter 1 – The nature and structure of organisations – Questions
  • singhjyoti on Basic group structures – SPLOCI introduction and example – ACCA (SBR) lectures

Copyright © 2025 · Support · Contact · Advertising · OpenLicense · About · Sitemap · Comments · Log in