Final answer:
To reach the goal of saving $50,000 for a college fund over the next 15 years, a monthly deposit of $140 with an APR of 8% is sufficient.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine whether the person can reach the goal of saving $50,000 for a college fund over the next 15 years, we need to calculate the future value of the deposits made each month.
The formula for calculating future value is:
FV = P * [(1 + r)^n - 1] / r
Where FV is the future value, P is the monthly deposit, r is the annual interest rate divided by the number of compounding periods per year, and n is the total number of compounding periods.
Let's calculate the future value:
- Convert the annual interest rate to a monthly interest rate: 8% / 12 = 0.67%
- Calculate the total number of compounding periods: 15 years * 12 months/year = 180 months
- Plug in the values into the formula: FV = 140 * [(1 + 0.67%)^180 - 1] / 0.67%
- Solve for FV: FV = $50,000
Based on these calculations, the monthly deposit of $140 with an APR of 8% will allow the person to reach the goal of $50,000 for the college fund over the next 15 years.