Suppose You Have $1,000, Which You Can Put in Two

question 88

Essay

Suppose you have $1,000, which you can put in two different types of accounts at a bank. One account pays interest of 9 percent per year; the other pays an interest rate of 3 percent per year plus the rate of inflation. Calculate the amount of money you will have at the end of one year if the inflation rate is 5 percent. What is the real rate of return in each case? Which account would you prefer if you expected inflation to be 8 percent?

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Definitions:

Contribution Margin

The amount by which sales revenue exceeds variable costs, contributing to covering fixed costs and generating profit.

Marginal Trend

A minor change or adjustment in a pattern or sequence over time, often indicating a slight shift in behavior or performance.

Breakeven Point

The point at which total costs and total revenue are equal, meaning there is no profit or loss.

Planning Gap

The difference between future desired performance levels and the projected level of performance if current operations continue without changes.