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Finance educationEpisode 152Stat cards0:37

How long does your money take to double?

The Rule of 72 · years for money to double at a fixed yearly rate

0:00 / 0:37

Source: St. Louis Fed; Rutgers NJAES (Rule of 72) · 2026

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Runs 0:37.

How to read this chart: Independent facts pass through one at a time, then land together in a closing recap. They share a theme, not a scale — do not read the second card as bigger than the first. Where a card carries a ring, a from-to bar, a dot strip or a sparkline, the graphic is zero-based and only ever shows that card's own figure; a "vs" card compares just its two halves. More on stat cards charts.

The takeaway

Divide 72 by the yearly interest rate to see how many years your money takes to double.

The data

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The numbers open when the clip reaches its answer, so they can't give it away.

Source: St. Louis Fed; Rutgers NJAES (Rule of 72). Covering 2026.

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Transcript

  1. 1 percent interest. How long until it doubles? Watch the years climb.

  2. At 12 percent, about 6 years. At 8, about 9. At 4, about 18. At 2, about 36. So at 1 percent? About — 72 years. Doubling takes far longer when the rate is tiny.

  3. That's today's stat from NumberReels. What interest rate is your savings account paying, and do you think it beats inflation? Comment your answer. Like, share and subscribe for more at numberreels.com.

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