Unix / Linux Scripts For Computing Compund Interest

On my unix blog, I posted three scripts for calculating compound interest.

They are written in awk, which is included free on all unix and linux systems. Since Macs are unix-based, it should be included on them , as well. Versions of awk are also available for free download on PCs.

The three scripts are called "compound", "compound_add", and "compound_add2".

Here are some examples of how to use these scripts:

1. You open a money market account with $5,000 and earn 0.45% / month. How much is the account worth after 1 year? You would use "compound 5000 .45 12"

2. You open a money market account with $200, contribute $200 each month, and earn 0.45% / month. How much is the account worth after 1 year? You would use "compound_add 200 .45 12"

3. You have an existing money market account with $5,000. You now contribute $200 each month and earn 0.45% / month. How much is the account worth after 1 year? You would use "compound_add2 5000 200 .45 12"