compound interest

Interest computed on the principal amount to which interest earned to-date has been added. Where compound interest is applied, the investment grows exponentially and not linearly as in the case of simple interest. Formula: Principal x {(Annual interest rate ÷ 100) + 1}^number of years. For example, $1,000 at an annual compound interest rate of 10 percent will, in 5 years, be: 1000 x {(10 ÷ 100) + 1}^5 = $1,6105.51.

It has become fashionable at public companies to describe almost every compensation plan as aligning the interests of management with those of shareholders. In our book, alignment means being a partner in both directions, not just on the upside. Many "alignment" plans flunk this basic test, being artful forms of "heads I win, tails you lose." A common form of misalignment occurs in the typical stock option arrangement, which does not periodically increase the option price to compensate for the fact that retained earnings are building up the wealth of the company. Indeed, the combination of a ten-year option, a low dividend payout, and compound interest can provide lush gains to a manager who has done no more than tread water in his job. A cynic might even note that when payments to owners are held down, the profit to the option-holding manager increases. I have yet to see this vital point spelled out in a proxy statement asking shareholders to approve an option plan.

• Quadrupling Earnings