What is 3% annual interest?

Imagine you have 100 candies, and someone says you’ll get 3% annual interest, that means every year, you get 3 more candies for having those 100.

What is "annual"?

"Annual" just means it happens once a year. Like how you might get a birthday present every year on your special day.

What is "percent"?

"Percent" means per hundred. So 3% is like saying 3 out of 100, which is why if you have 100 candies, you get 3 more each year. If you had 200 candies, you’d get 6 candies every year because 3% of 200 is 6.

It’s like getting a little treat every year just for keeping your candies safe in a jar, no magic needed, just fair sharing!

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Examples

  1. A bank offers 3% annual interest, so if you save $100, after one year you’ll have $103.
  2. You borrow money from a friend and agree to pay back 3% of the amount each year.
  3. If your parents invest in a bond with a 3% interest rate, their savings will grow slowly but steadily.

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