Investing

3 Actions to Make Best Use of Compound Interest

Chris Lee Susanto, Founder at Re-ThinkWealth.com

21 April 2020

Compound interest is very powerful.

It is the interest you get on top of the previous principal + interest you already got.

Read also: My 5 Key Takeaway From Temasek Portfolio Value in 2020.

Here are 3 actions you can take to make the best use of compound interest:

Invest early – the earlier we invest, the more powerful the compounding effect becomes. By investing early, we will truly maximize the effects of compounding – so long as we stay invested for the long haul.

Re-invest your profits – remember than compound interests are interests on top of your original capital + your interests. So in an investment point of view, it is your original starting capital + all the profits you already made from the stock market. By re-investing them, you are making use of compound interests to the fullest as you are building your base capital.

Add more money – by adding more money to your portfolio, you are building your base capital. It will accelerate the impact of the compounding because the % return is built on a bigger base.

Rule of 72 gives you an idea of how many years it takes for your investment to double. Getting 20% a year, takes you 3.6 years (72/20) and getting 8% a year, takes you 9 years (72/8).

But remember, compound interest is good in theory. But if you lose money consistently on your investments or you cannot get a consistent rate of return over time, compound interest is useless.

This is Chris’s weekly take, which can found in VIM membership site at www.vimclub.sg.

Disclaimer:

The information provided is for general information purposes only and is not intended to be a personalized investment or financial advice.

Important: Please read our full disclaimer.

Further Learning or Doing 

  • Our Telegram Channel – You can get daily updates on stocks, business, economy, and value investing knowledge from us here.
  • Our Value Investing Mentorship Program – Individuals looking to learn skills to become better investors can join our effective and exclusive course, taught via one-on-one mentorship, here.

Read also now:

5 Investing Lessons from The Three Kingdom

5 Investing Lessons from The Three Kingdom

Just finished rewatching all 95 episodes of The Romance of The Three Kingdoms – Although this is a classic Chinese historical war movie that is likely dramatized, there are a lot of lessons to be learned from it – for value investing purposes. [1] No matter how good we are or how much […]

read more
How I Made 50% in 6 Months with Care.com

How I Made 50% in 6 Months with Care.com

Today I want to share with you my thought processes when I first initiated a position in Care.com (NYSE: CRCM) on 28 May 2019 – and less than 6 months later on 20 December 2019 – overall at an average cost of $10.07, I sold off all of it at $15.05. My valuation for care was higher than […]

read more
Peter Lynch One Up on Wall Street Summary | Ultimate Guide

Peter Lynch One Up on Wall Street Summary | Ultimate Guide

Peter Lynch’s one up on wall street book was one of the first investing books that I read. I probably first read the book when I was about the age of 20 or 21, and now, after about five years in the market, I can tell you that the lessons hold. Who is Peter Lynch? Peter Lynch is a legendary […]

read more