Les intérêts composés, comme une boule de neige

Have you ever seen a snowball roll down a hill? It starts small, but picks up more snow, getting bigger and faster. Your money can do the same thing with compound interest, making it grow like a snowball.

Simple interest pays you only on your original investment. But compound interest pays you on your original investment PLUS any interest you've already earned. It's like your money starts having babies, growing exponentially!

Think of your initial investment as a small snowball. The interest you earn is like fresh snow sticking to it. With compound interest, the next time interest is calculated, it’s on a bigger snowball – the original plus the new snow that has accumulated.

So, you earn interest on your principal, and then you earn interest on that interest. This cycle repeats, making your money grow at an accelerating rate. The longer it rolls, the bigger it gets, demonstrating the snowball effect.

If you invest $1,000 at 10% compound interest, after one year you'll have $1,100. The next year, you’ll have $1,210, not $1,200. That extra $10 is interest earning interest, showing the power of compounding.

Compound interest makes your money grow faster and faster. It’s like that snowball picking up speed and size. Why does compound interest snowball? Because it grows faster and faster over time.