Calculating nominal, before-tax rate of return - Schweser Question reading 18 Q6

Greetings all.

Can someone help explain the before tax nominal return calc in Study Session 8 - asset allocation Q6.

Mrs. Singh has an investable portfolio of 3,153,922.

She requires 130K after-tax.

Inflation rate = 1.5%, Tax rate = 30%.

The answer gives:

req. real return = 130K / 3,153,922 = 4.12%.

They then add inflation: 4.12% + 1.5%= 5.62%

Then account for taxes: 5.62% / 0.7 = 8.03%

So I’m confused because when you work backwards using real $ figures:

8.03% return on 3,153,922 = 253,259

After tax: 253,259 * 0.7 = 177,282

Accounting for inflation: 177,282 * (1-1.5%) = 176,396

What’s the deal? Thanks in advance.

S2000’s article surely will help: http://financialexamhelp123.com/inflation-in-required-rate-of-return-to-tax-or-not-to-tax/

(And sorry S2000 to steal your thunder here).

CP

The deal is that you’re treating the 1.5% as a return on $177,282.

If you treat it as a return on $3,153,922 – as you should – you get 1.5% × $3,153,922 = $47,309.

Thus, the net return is $177,282 − $47,309 = $129,973.

Voilà!

No need to apologize.

Fantastic link and thanks for correcting my calcs.

You guys are awesome.

My pleasure.

You’re too kind.