What these two processes share is baked into the math of each. In fact, in that respect, they're nearly identical. They both involve some stuff (atoms or money) that is either growing or shrinking.

Liliana Hall was a writer for CNET Money covering banking, credit cards and mortgages. Previously, she wrote about personal credit for Bankrate and CreditCards.com. David McMillin writes about credit ...

Compound interest can help turbocharge your savings and investments, or it can quickly lead to an unruly balance, keeping you stuck in a cycle of debt. Its magic can help you earn more — or owe more.