The Rule of 72 is a great mental math shortcut to estimate the effect of any growth rate, from quick financial calculations to population estimates. Here’s the formula:
Years to double = 72 / Interest Rate
Examples:
At 6% interest, your money takes 72/6 or 12 years to double.
To double your money in 10 years, get an interest rate of 72/10 or 7.2%.