Force of interest refers to a nominal interest rate or a discount rate compounded infinite number of times (or continuously) per time period.
Consider a nominal interest rate(or even a discount rate) compounded half-yearly and another rate compounded quarterly, another rate compounded monthly, compounded weekly, compounded daily, compounded every second and so on until you can imagine an interest rate that is compounded every smallest fraction of a second(continuously). This interest rate compounded continuously is the force of interest.
If i^p is the interest rate compounded p times a year, then the limit of i^(p) as p tends to infinity, would be the force of interest.
Nominal Interest rate refers to the interest rate without the adjustment of inflation. It is basically the rate “as stated”, “as advertised” and so on which does not take inflation, compounding effect of interest, tax or any fees in the account. It is also known as Annualized Percent Rate. This…
Whether effective and nominal rates can ever be the same depends on whether interest calculations involve simple or compound interest. While in a simple interest calculation effective and nominal rates can be the same, effective and nominal rates will never be the same in a compound interest calculation. Although short-term…
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