The Rule of 72 is a handy tool used in finance to estimate the number of years it would take to double a sum of money through interest payments, given a particular interest rate. The rule can also estimate the annual interest rate required to double a sum of money in a specified number of years. The rule states that the interest rate multiplied by the time period required to double an amount of money is approximately equal to 72.

The Rule of 72 is applicable in cases of exponential growth, (as in compound interest) or in exponential "decay," as in the loss of purchasing power caused by monetary inflation.