Dear Samantha,
When a bond is issued at face value, the annual interest expense and the
interest payout equals the face value of the bond times the interest rate
stated on its face. However, if the bond is issued to yield a higher or lower
Assume a premium: the theory behind the effective-interest method is that,
as time passes, the difference between the face value of the bond and its
carrying amount becomes smaller, resulting in a lower interest expense
To amortize the premium applying this method to the data provided, you
must know the bond’s face amount, its stated rate of interest, its effective
rate of interest, and its carrying value.
1. Multiply the stated rate times the face amount. This is the interest
payout.