Effective Annual Interest Rate
An investment's annual rate of interest when compounding occurs more often than once a year. Calculated as the following:
Investopedia Commentary
Consider a stated annual rate of 10%. Compounded yearly, this rate will turn $1000 into $1100. However, if compounding occurs monthly, $1000 would grow to $1104.70 by the end of the year, rendering an effective annual interest rate of 10.47%. Basically the effective annual rate is the annual rate of interest that accounts for the effect of compounding.
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See also: Compounding, Fixed Interest Rate, Interest Rate Ceiling, Nominal Interest Rate, Real Interest Rate, Stated Annual Interest Rate, Variable Interest Rate
Also spelled: EAR