- 1). Write down the information necessary for calculating the bond's yield rate, which are the annual coupon payment amounts, number of years to maturity (one year, in this case, so it won't be necessary), face value, and purchase price.
- 2). Set up an equation to solve for "r" which is the bond rate. A bond rate equation for one year from the present date takes the form of C/(1+r) + B/(1+r) = P, where "C" is equal to the annual coupon payments, "B" equals the face value of the bond, and "P" is the price the investor purchased the bond at.
- 3). Enter in the values for "C", "B", and "P", and solve for "r". The equation should look like: r = (C+B-P)/P. The number you get for "r" is the yield to maturity rate for the bond. The higher the rate is, the better the payoff you will receive from the bond.