Math Problem Statement

Luis has $150,000 in his retirement account at his present company. Because he is assuming a position with another company, Luis is planning to "roll over" his assets to a new account. Luis also plans to put $2000/quarter into the new account until his retirement 20 years from now. If the new account earns interest at the rate of 5.5%/year compounded quarterly, how much will Luis have in his account at the time of his retirement? (Round your answer to the nearest cent.) $

Solution

We can solve this problem by calculating the future value of Luis's retirement account using two components:

  1. The present value of the initial $150,000 in the account, which will earn interest over the next 20 years.
  2. The future value of the quarterly deposits of $2,000.

1. Future Value of the Initial $150,000

The formula for the future value of a single investment compounded periodically is:

FV=PV×(1+rn)ntFV = PV \times (1 + \frac{r}{n})^{nt}

Where:

  • PV=150,000PV = 150,000 (initial investment),
  • r=5.5%=0.055r = 5.5\% = 0.055 (annual interest rate),
  • n=4n = 4 (compounded quarterly),
  • t=20t = 20 years.

Substituting the values:

FVinitial=150,000×(1+0.0554)4×20FV_{\text{initial}} = 150,000 \times \left(1 + \frac{0.055}{4}\right)^{4 \times 20}

2. Future Value of Quarterly Deposits

The future value of periodic payments (annuity) is given by:

FVdeposits=P×((1+rn)nt1rn)FV_{\text{deposits}} = P \times \left(\frac{(1 + \frac{r}{n})^{nt} - 1}{\frac{r}{n}}\right)

Where:

  • P=2000P = 2000 (quarterly deposit),
  • r=0.055r = 0.055 (annual interest rate),
  • n=4n = 4 (compounded quarterly),
  • t=20t = 20 years.

Substituting the values:

FVdeposits=2000×((1+0.0554)4×2010.0554)FV_{\text{deposits}} = 2000 \times \left(\frac{(1 + \frac{0.055}{4})^{4 \times 20} - 1}{\frac{0.055}{4}}\right)

Let's now calculate both future values and add them together:

Step 1: Future Value of Initial Investment

FVinitial=150,000×(1+0.0554)80FV_{\text{initial}} = 150,000 \times \left(1 + \frac{0.055}{4}\right)^{80}

FVinitial=150,000×(1.01375)80FV_{\text{initial}} = 150,000 \times \left(1.01375\right)^{80}

FVinitial=150,000×2.847FV_{\text{initial}} = 150,000 \times 2.847

FVinitial=427,050FV_{\text{initial}} = 427,050

Step 2: Future Value of Quarterly Deposits

FVdeposits=2000×((1.01375)8010.01375)FV_{\text{deposits}} = 2000 \times \left(\frac{(1.01375)^{80} - 1}{0.01375}\right)

FVdeposits=2000×(2.84710.01375)FV_{\text{deposits}} = 2000 \times \left(\frac{2.847 - 1}{0.01375}\right)

FVdeposits=2000×(1.8470.01375)FV_{\text{deposits}} = 2000 \times \left(\frac{1.847}{0.01375}\right)

FVdeposits=2000×134.91FV_{\text{deposits}} = 2000 \times 134.91

FVdeposits=269,820FV_{\text{deposits}} = 269,820

Total Future Value

FVtotal=FVinitial+FVdeposits=427,050+269,820FV_{\text{total}} = FV_{\text{initial}} + FV_{\text{deposits}} = 427,050 + 269,820

FVtotal=696,870FV_{\text{total}} = 696,870

Thus, at the time of his retirement, Luis will have $696,870 in his account.


Would you like more details on how the formulas were applied, or is there another part of the problem you need assistance with?

Here are 5 related questions you might find interesting:

  1. How would the future value change if the interest rate increased to 6%?
  2. How would the future value change if Luis decided to increase his quarterly deposit to $2,500?
  3. What would the future value be if the compounding frequency were annual instead of quarterly?
  4. How would the future value differ if Luis started his deposits 5 years later?
  5. What is the relationship between the interest rate and the future value of the account?

Tip: Always be mindful of the compounding frequency when using the future value formula—quarterly compounding (4 times a year) can significantly impact the total amount accumulated over time.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Future Value
Compound Interest
Annuity
Exponential Growth

Formulas

FV = PV * (1 + r/n)^(nt)
FV_deposits = P * ((1 + r/n)^(nt) - 1) / (r/n)

Theorems

Compound Interest Theorem
Future Value of Annuity Theorem

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 10-12