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In Mathematics / College | 2025-07-07

Liz and Bob just had a baby named Isabelle, and they want to save enough money for Isabelle to go to college. Assume that they start making monthly payments when Isabelle is 5 into an ordinary annuity earning 4.1%, and they calculate that they will need $28,700.00 by the time Isabelle turns 18. How much should they deposit every month so that they reach their goal?
Deposit amount = $

Asked by hashawna213

Answer (2)

To determine how much Liz and Bob need to deposit each month into an ordinary annuity, we use the future value formula for an annuity:
F V = P × r ( 1 + r ) n − 1 ​
Where:

F V is the future value of the annuity, which is $28,700.00 in this case.

P is the monthly deposit that we need to find.

r is the monthly interest rate.

n is the total number of payments.


Step-by-Step Calculation:

Determine the monthly interest rate :
The annual interest rate is 4.1%. Convert this to a monthly interest rate by dividing by 12:
r = 12 4.1% ​ = 12 0.041 ​ ≈ 0.0034167

Calculate the number of payments :
Since Isabelle will start college at 18 and the payments start when she is 5, there are 13 years of payments:
n = 13 × 12 = 156

Rearrange the formula to solve for P :
P = ( 1 + r ) n − 1 F V ⋅ r ​

Substitute the known values into the formula :
P = ( 1 + 0.0034167 ) 156 − 1 28 , 700 × 0.0034167 ​

Calculate :
First, calculate the expression in the denominator:
( 1 + 0.0034167 ) 156
Calculate this value and then subtract 1.
Finally, compute P :
P comes out to approximately $146.14.


Therefore, Liz and Bob should deposit approximately $146.14 each month to reach their goal of $28,700 by the time Isabelle turns 18.

Answered by DanielJosephParker | 2025-07-08

Liz and Bob should deposit approximately $138.88 each month to save $28,700 for Isabelle's college education. This calculation uses the future value formula for an ordinary annuity, considering an interest rate of 4.1%. The payments will begin when Isabelle turns 5 and will continue until she turns 18.
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Answered by DanielJosephParker | 2025-07-28