Compound interest, or the interest that has accumulated on the principal amount in addition to the interest from earlier periods, can help you raise your earnings on the principal amount. Interest can accumulate under any frequency schedule, including daily, monthly, and annual ones. The formula for compound interest is A = P(1 + r n t), where A is the final sum of all the funds and P is the principal invested or financed. The annual interest rate is denoted by r. Compound interest is a great way to maximize the value of your initial investment when it comes to saving and investing. t represents the number of these time periods that have passed, and n represents the number of times interest has been compounded during a given time period. For example, if you invest $10,000 for five years at a rate of 4% each year, you'll end up with $12,166.53, which is $166.53 more than if the interest didn't compound. Compound interest also applies to loans. If you borrow $10,000 at a 5% annual interest rate without compounding, for example, you will be required to pay $500 in interest after a year. However, if you paid off this loan on a monthly basis with compound interest, you would have paid $511.62 in total interest by the end of the year. Compound interest can be a practical method for building wealth over time because the interest paid on the collected interest has the potential to compound and potentially grow enormously. On the other hand, if a loan is not promptly repaid, compound interest on that debt may build up and become quite expensive.