Interest Rates Were at Historical Highs in the Early 1980s

Short Answer

Interest rates were at historical highs in the early 1980s. In August of 1981, you could earn 17.5% compounded annually on a five-year term deposit with a Canadian bank. Since then, the interest rate offered on five-year term deposits dropped to a low of 2.0% compounded annually in August of 2009. On a $10,000 deposit for a term of five years, how much more would you have earned at the historical high interest rate than at the more recent low rate?