Excel University Blog

Read on for in-depth articles, tutorials, and videos. Search or browse for specific topics. Be sure to subscribe if you'd like to be notified when we write something new.

NOMINAL

Cost of Borrowing Revealed

By Jeff Lenning | September 23, 2025 |

When it comes to understanding the true cost of borrowing, we can’t afford to rely solely on advertised rates. Terms like APR (Annual Percentage Rate) and APY (Annual Percentage Yield) might seem interchangeable, but they tell very different stories due to compounding. With Excel’s built-in financial functions like NOMINAL, EFFECT, PMT, and RATE, we can…

How to Use the NOMINAL Function

By Jeff Lenning | July 15, 2025 |

Understanding interest rates is key to accurate financial modeling in Excel. In this guide, we’ll explore the NOMINAL function, which helps us convert an effective rate (APY) into a nominal rate (APR). Once we make this conversion, we can generate more precise projections using Excel’s other financial functions like FV (Future Value) and PMT (Payment).…