What is Effective Annual return?

Usually while applying for a fixed deposit or a bond it is stated in the application form, that the annual return (interest) of an investment is 10%, but the effective annual return mentioned is something more, 10.38%. Why the difference? Essentially, the effective annual return accounts for intra-year compounding and the stated annual return does not. The difference between these two measures is best illustrated with an example. Suppose the stated annual interest rate on a savings account is 10%, and say you put Rs 1,000 into this savings account. After one year, your money would grow to Rs 1,100. But, if the account has a quarterly compounding feature, your effective rate of return will be higher than 10%. After the first quarter, or first three months, your savings would grow to Rs 1,025. Then, in the second quarter, the effect of compounding would become apparent: you would receive another Rs 25 in interest on the original Rs 1,000, but you would also receive an additional Rs 0.63 from the Rs. 25 that was paid after the first quarter. In other words, the interest earned in each quarter will increase the interest earned in subsequent quarters. By the end of the year, the power of quarterly compounding would give you a total of Rs 1,103.80. So, although the stated annual interest rate is 10%, because of quarterly compounding, the effective rate of return is 10.38%. The difference of 0.38% may appear insignificant, but it can be huge when you're dealing with large numbers. 0.38% of Rs. 100,000 is Rs 380! Another thing to consider is that compounding does not necessarily occur quarterly, or only four times a year, as it does in the example above. There are accounts that compound monthly, and even some that compound daily. And, as our example showed, the frequency with which interest is paid (compounded) will have an effect on effective rate of return.