Ever found yourself wondering how long it takes for that sneaky debt to double up on you? Or scratching your head trying to figure out if your savings are actually growing or just playing a disappearing act thanks to inflation? Let's break it down with some real talk and easy maths , so you're not left in the financial dark. First off, let's chat about our buddy Jose who's got a $1,000 loan chilling at a 20% annual interest rate, compounded annually. Now, Jose isn't making any payments because maybe he's forgotten or maybe he's just hoping it'll vanish into thin air (spoiler: it won't). Enter the Rule of 72, a nifty trick to estimate how quickly your money can grow or, in Jose's case, how fast that debt can balloon. Divide 72 by the interest rate (20% in this instance), and you'll see it'll take roughly 3.6 years for Jose's debt to do a gymnastic flip and double. Yikes, right? Shows you how compound interest is like that friend who e...