To find the value today of the back pay from two years ago, we will find the FV of the annuity, and
then find the FV of the lump sum. Doing so gives us:
FVA = ($43,000 / 12)[{[1 + (.0678 / 12)]12 – 1} / (.0678 / 12)]
FVA = $44,362.73
Now, we need to find the value today of last year’s back pay:
FVA = ($46,000 / 12)[{[1 + (.0678 / 12)]12 – 1} / (.0678 / 12)]
FVA = $47,457.81
Next, we find the value today of the five year’s future salary:
As the plaintiff, you would prefer a lower interest rate. In this problem, we are calculating both the PV
and FV of annuities. A lower interest rate will decrease the FVA, but increase the PVA. So, by a lower
interest rate, we are lowering the value of the back pay. But, we are also increasing the PV of the future
salary. Since the future salary is larger and has a longer time, this is the more important cash flow to
the plaintiff.
59. Again, to find the interest rate of a loan, we need to look at the cash flows of the loan. Since this loan
is in the form of a lump sum, the amount you will repay is the FV of the principal amount, which will
be: