Difference between the present value of the Strayer lottery jackpot

  You have just won the Strayer Lottery jackpot of $11,000,000. You will be paid in 26 equal annual installments beginning immediately. If you had the money now, you could invest it in an account with a quoted annual interest rate of 9% with monthly compounding of interest. Calculate the present value of the payments you will receive. Show your calculations using formulas in your paper or in an attached spreadsheet file. Explain why there is a difference between the present value of the Strayer lottery jackpot and the future value of the 26 annual payments based on your calculations and the information provided. Compare the information about risk and return indicated by different bond ratings. Support your answer with references to research. Use various bond websites to locate one of each of the following bond ratings: AAA, BBB, CCC, and D. Research the differences between the bond ratings, the required interest rates, and the risk. List the websites used as sources for this research. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of each rating.

Sample Solution

  Calculating the Present Value of the Strayer Lottery Jackpot The present value of an investment is the amount of money that you would need to invest today in order to receive a certain amount of money in the future. The present value of the Strayer Lottery Jackpot can be calculated using the following formula:
Present Value = Future Value / (1 + r)^t

Full Answer Section

  where:
  • Present Value = the amount of money you would need to invest today
  • Future Value = the amount of money you will receive in the future
  • r = the interest rate
  • t = the number of years
In this case, the future value is $11,000,000, the interest rate is 9%, and the number of years is 26. So, the present value of the Strayer Lottery Jackpot is:
Present Value = $11,000,000 / (1 + 0.09)^26
= $3,286,350.64
The Difference Between the Present Value and the Future Value The difference between the present value and the future value of the Strayer Lottery Jackpot is due to the time value of money. The time value of money is the idea that money today is worth more than money in the future because of the opportunity to earn interest on it. In this case, the present value of the Strayer Lottery Jackpot is less than the future value because you would have to wait 26 years to receive the full amount. Bond Ratings Bond ratings are a way of assessing the risk of a bond. The higher the bond rating, the lower the risk. Bond ratings are assigned by credit rating agencies, such as Moody's and Standard & Poor's. The following table shows the different bond ratings and their associated risk levels:
Bond Rating Risk Level
AAA Lowest
AA Low
A Medium
BBB Medium-high
BB High
B Very high
CCC Very high
D Default
The risk level of a bond is determined by a number of factors, including the financial strength of the issuer, the terms of the bond, and the economic environment. Bond Websites I used the following bond websites to locate one of each of the following bond ratings: AAA, BBB, CCC, and D:
  • Moody's: https://www.moodys.com/
  • Standard & Poor's: https://www.standardandpoors.com/
  • Fitch Ratings: https://www.fitchratings.com/
  • The Bond Buyer: https://www.bondbuyer.com/
Strengths and Weaknesses of Each Rating The strengths and weaknesses of each bond rating are as follows:
  • AAA: AAA bonds are considered to be the safest bonds available. They have the lowest risk of default. However, they also tend to have the lowest yields.
  • BBB: BBB bonds are considered to be investment grade bonds. They have a moderate risk of default. However, they tend to have higher yields than AAA bonds.
  • CCC: CCC bonds are considered to be non-investment grade bonds. They have a high risk of default. However, they tend to have very high yields.
  • D: D bonds are considered to be defaulted bonds. They have no value and are unlikely to be repaid.
Conclusion The present value of the Strayer Lottery Jackpot is less than the future value because of the time value of money. Bond ratings are a way of assessing the risk of a bond. The higher the bond rating, the lower the risk. The strengths and weaknesses of each bond rating vary depending on the investor's risk tolerance and investment goals.

IS IT YOUR FIRST TIME HERE? WELCOME

USE COUPON "11OFF" AND GET 11% OFF YOUR ORDERS