What is the rule of 72 in investing: 5 things to know (2024)

1.The Rule of 72 indicates how fast your money will double at a given rate of return.
2.When you divide 72 by the estimated annual rate of return, you get the number of years it will take for your money to double. So, if you are getting 8% return annually, it would take 72/8 = 9 years to double.
3.This rule gives a fair estimate if your portfolio return is within the range of 4-15%.

4.One can also use this to compute the returns a portfolio should generate to double money in a given time period. If you want to double it in five years, the portfolio should be invested such that it yields 72/5=14.4%.
5.Though the Rule of 72 isn’t the most accurate calculation, it gives a good idea to investors to project their portfolio values.

Content on this page is courtesy Centre for Investment Education and Learning (CIEL).
Contributions by Girija Gadre, Arti Bhargava and Labdhi Mehta.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of www.economictimes.com.)

What is the rule of 72 in investing: 5 things to know (2024)

FAQs

What is the rule of 72 in investing: 5 things to know? ›

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 are important things to know about the Rule of 72? ›

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 are the 5 golden rules of investing? ›

The golden rules of investing
  • If you can't afford to invest yet, don't. It's true that starting to invest early can give your investments more time to grow over the long term. ...
  • Set your investment expectations. ...
  • Understand your investment. ...
  • Diversify. ...
  • Take a long-term view. ...
  • Keep on top of your investments.

What is the Rule of 72 5? ›

For example if you wanted to double an investment in 5 years, divide 72 by 5 to learn that you'll need to earn 14.4% interest annually on your investment for 5 years: 14.4 × 5 = 72. The Rule of 72 is a simplified version of the more involved compound interest calculation.

What is the 8 4 3 rule in mutual funds? ›

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 magic Rule of 72? ›

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 rule 69 in finance? ›

The Rule of 69 states that when a quantity grows at a constant annual rate, it will roughly double in size after approximately 69 divided by the growth rate. The Rule of 69 is derived from the mathematical constant e, which is the base of the natural logarithm.

What is the rule of 42 in investing? ›

One of the key rules within my unique Income Method is the Rule of 42 - holding at least 42 income-generating investments that enable you to have reduced risk from any individual holding.

What are the 5 investment guidelines? ›

  • Invest early. Starting early is one of the best ways to build wealth. ...
  • Invest regularly. Investing often is just as important as starting early. ...
  • Invest enough. Achieving your long-term financial goals begins with saving enough today. ...
  • Have a plan. ...
  • Diversify your portfolio.

What is the rule of 5 financial? ›

The 5% rule says as an investor, you should not invest more than 5% of your total portfolio in any one option alone. This simple technique will ensure you have a balanced portfolio.

What are the 5 factor investing models? ›

Each row shows a different factor (value, quality, momentum, size, minimum volatility), as well as its primary objective. Let's review each of these 5 factors. Value investing strategies select stocks that are lower cost relative to their peers after controlling for fundamentals.

What are the three important elements for determination of investment? ›

The other determinants of investment include expectations, the level of economic activity, the stock of capital, the capacity utilization rate, the cost of capital goods, other factor costs, technological change, and public policy.

What is the math behind the Rule of 72? ›

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.

Why is it important to understand the Rule of 72 as it pertains to both savings and investment? ›

The Rule of 72 is a quick, useful formula that is popularly used to estimate the number of years required to double the invested money at a given annual rate of return. Alternatively, it can compute the annual rate of compounded return from an investment, given how many years it will take to double the investment.

What are the assumptions of the Rule of 72? ›

This formula relies on the fact that the interest rate is equal to the return on investment (ROI). It assumes that no other payments will be made. The interest rate will be fixed and it will be annually compounded. Originally, the rule of 72 was derived from a formula that looks at the logarithms of numbers.

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