Some of you know about this, some of you don’t. Either way I’m going to give you the basics of compounding, plus a couple of new slants on the concept. I suggest you read The Magic of Compounding not just once, but several times. If you have children, print this write-up, and give it to them to read. If they master this concept they will become rich.
The Basics
Compounding describes how numbers, or money, can grow. Numbers can grow in an arithmetic progression, for example 2,4,6,8,10,12 or 3,6,9,12,15,18, where one unit is added on at each step in the progression and that action provides the growth, or, numbers can grow exponentially, 2,4,8,16,32,64. In an exponential progression the increase comes by doubling the number at each step in the progression. See the difference? This is compounding.
Now the really amazing part, the magic, comes when you see how fast compounding will make money grow. And guess what! That’s right, I’ve got a little game to play with you, a little story to tell, which will illustrate this principle. This puzzle is as old as J.P. Morgan’s moustache comb, so if you’ve already been schooled in...