Gross interest is the total sum of a bond’s outstanding principal and interest payments—$1,000 on a $10,000 bond would be gross interest of $10,000. So, the total of interest and principal on a bond is equal to its Gross Interest Rate.
What is the Gross Interest Rate?
The Gross Interest Rate is the interest rate an individual bond is likely to pay on its principal. It is the interest rate that the issuing bank will charge when lending the money to someone. The interest rate is determined by the Funds Rate, which is the interest rate that the Fed sets for different security types and for different long-term investments.
The Funds Rate is reviewed by the Fed every quarter. If it is lower than the rate set by the Fed, the Fed will increase the money supply, which will lead to a rise in the price of goods and services, and hence, an increase in the yield on the bond. If the Funds Rate is higher than the rate set by the Fed, the Fed will reduce the money supply, which will lead to a fall in the price of goods and services, and hence, a decrease in the yield on the bond.
Gross interest is important because it determines the rate at which bondholders receive their money. Bonds with a higher Gross Interest Rate pay more money to bondholders than bonds with a lower Gross Interest Rate.
What is the determined rate of interest?
The determined rate of interest is the interestRate on a bond. This is the rate at which the bondholder receives his or her money back from the issuer–the front end of the bond payment.
How can I calculate my bond’s Gross Interest Rate?
The easiest way to calculate your bond’s Gross Interest Rate is to use the most recent issue rate for that type of bond. Just take the gross instalments plus the discounts or coupon payments (if any) and divide by the bond’s 10-year maturity. The following table provides an example to help you calculate your bond’s Gross Interest Rate:
Gross Interest Rate for Four-Year Bonds at 10 Year Maturity Bond Issue -0.50%
-0.75%
-1.00%
-1.25%
-1.50%
If trying to calculate your bond’s Gross Interest Rate using an available public offering information, it can be helpful to have a calculator pre-loaded with interest rates for different types of bonds