Elvis Picardo is a regular contributor to Investopedia and has 25+ years of experience as a portfolio manager with diverse capital markets experience. Suzanne is a content marketer, writer, and ...

Compound interest can help turbocharge your savings and investments, or it can quickly lead to an unruly balance, keeping you stuck in a cycle of debt. Its magic can help you earn more — or owe more.

When you borrow money, you’ll also pay interest on top of the amount you borrowed.. Interest is the money the lender gets for loaning you the money. Read Next: 5 Subtly Genius Moves All Wealthy People ...