Financial, Multiple Compound Interest Problem

In summary, the problem at hand involves determining the optimal point at which to switch from investing in Company 1 to Company 2 in order to obtain the maximum return in the long term. Company 1 offers a lower interest rate A% every T days, while Company 2 offers a higher interest rate B% (greater than A%) every T days, but also requires an initial fee of $Y to invest. The variables involved are A, B, X (the initial investment in Company 1), and Y. It is necessary to find the value of T where the return on investment is highest, taking into account that investments are non-refundable. The optimum T value can be calculated using a linear optimization method, such as the
  • #1
DKATyler
4
0
I am currently attempting to solve the following problem for a calculator I am constructing in Java.
Company 1 pays A% Interest every T days
Company 2 pays B% Interest (>A%) every T days

Company 1 has an initial investment of $X dollars
Company 2 requires an inital fee of $Y dollars to invest in their company ($Y does not pay any interest! It's a fee.)

At what point T in terms of A, B, X and Y should I stop investing in Company 1 and begin investing in Company 2 to obtain the maximum return at T=infinity? Investments are non-refundable.

Example:
$1,000 invested in A at 3% interest
B pays 8% interest
B requires a $1,000 fee to invest.

By brute force calculation, the optimum T value is approx 16 for this example. ($1604.71 invested in Company 1). This results in the first interest earning investment in B at T=39. (Only slightly later then T=0 with $1000 in company where the first interest earning payment would be made at T=36).
 
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  • #2
This is a linear optimization and the simplex algorithm should do. However, if ##T## tends to infinity, there will never occur a ROI.
 

1. What is compound interest?

Compound interest is a type of interest that is calculated on both the initial principal amount and the accumulated interest from previous periods. This means that the interest earned in each period is added to the principal amount, and the interest for the next period is calculated based on this new total.

2. What is the formula for calculating compound interest?

The formula for calculating compound interest is A = P(1 + r/n)^(nt), where A is the final amount, P is the principal amount, r is the annual interest rate, n is the number of times the interest is compounded per year, and t is the number of years.

3. How is compound interest different from simple interest?

Compound interest is different from simple interest because it takes into account the accumulated interest from previous periods, while simple interest only calculates interest based on the initial principal amount.

4. What is the effect of compounding frequency on compound interest?

The more frequently interest is compounded, the higher the final amount will be. This is because the interest is being added to the principal amount more often, resulting in a larger base for future interest calculations.

5. How can compound interest be used to calculate returns on investments?

Compound interest can be used to calculate returns on investments by determining the interest rate, compounding frequency, and time period of the investment. Plugging these values into the compound interest formula will give you the final amount, which can then be compared to the initial investment to calculate the return on investment.

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