Financial Calculators in Excel
Financial Calculators in Excel
Financial Calculators in Excel
The first step towards financial security is taking control of your finances.
Money management is an art which includes saving the right amounts and
investing in the right instruments. However, there are several factors such
as inflation and time that lower the value of money. Therefore, it is
necessary to learn how to calculate the worth of one's investments.
1. Compound Interest
You may have heard financial experts/advisors extol the power of
compounding. Albert Einstein, in fact, called compounding "the greatest
mathematical discovery of all time".
The formula is
EXAMPLE
If you were to stretch the period by another 10 years, which makes it a total
of 20 years, the return would be Rs 6,72,749.99. The interesting point is
that your investment grew over four times in 20 years. That is why
compound interest is your best friend when it comes to investing. A longer
tenure, coupled with higher frequency of compounding (quarterly, half-
yearly), can work magic. So, the next time your financial adviser asks you
to stay long and enjoy the ride, know that he is referring to the power of
compounding.
3. Inflation
Inflation lowers purchasing power of the rupee. As a result, whenever a
saving plan is being chalked out, inflation is one of the factors that has to
be taken into account.
EXAMPLE
It is important to know what will be the future value of, say, today's Rs
10,000, ten years later if inflation is 5%.
4. Purchasing Power
Conversely, if you want to determine the purchasing power of the same Rs
10,000 in future, keeping all the other parameter as before, the formula is:-
EXAMPLE
Thanks to the power of compounding, the effective annual rate of the fixed
deposit turns out to be 9.3 per cent
6. Rule of 72
Rule of 72 refers to the time value of money. It helps you know the time (in
terms of years) required to double your money at a given interest rate.
That's why it is popularly known as the 'doubling of money' principle.
Formula: CAGR=((FV/PV)^(1/n)) - 1
Where
EXAMPLE
Case I
This comes to 17.4 per cent, indicating that the investment grew at a CAGR
of 17.4 per cent over the period.
Case II
Let's compare Case I's performance with another instrument whose value
rose from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 in two years.
Hence, if you have to compare the performance of any two asset classes or
check returns from an investment over different time frames, CAGR is the
best tool as it blocks out all the volatility that can otherwise be confusing.
8. Loan EMI
Equated monthly instalments (EMIs) are common in our day-to-day life. At
the time of taking a loan, we are shown a neat A4 size paper explaining the
EMI structure in a simplified manner. It is generally an unequal
combination of principal and interest payments.
We absorb these details and move on with life. But have you ever
wondered about the calculation behind these numbers? If you are curious,
then here is the formula
Example
Suppose you have taken a loan of Rs 10 lakh at 11 per cent annual interest
for 15 years. 1
1 per cent per annum translates into 11/1200 = 0.00916 per month
= Rs 11,361
This equation helps you check if the bank is charging the right amount.
The beauty of the method is that an individual can invest a fixed sum (as
low as Rs 500) at regular intervals (monthly, quarterly or half-yearly) in a
disciplined manner. It allows one to enjoy the benefits of rupee cost
averaging along with compounding. The data required for this calculation
are the amount to be invested per month, the rate of return and the period
of investment.
EXAMPLE
Suppose you are investing Rs 1,000 each month for the next 10 years and
expect a return of 15 per cent.
(1+ 0.0125)
So,with this simple formula, you can know the return your investment is
likely to generate.
A less figure indicates that your liabilities are greater than your assets and
so your financial stability is under threat.