Forward Rates and Forward Rate Curves

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Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Today's bond price holds tomorrow's secret tale
Spot rates whisper what the market knows
But forward rates unveil what time will bring
When future's curtain finally unfolds
A one-year bond at five percent today
But what will two-year money cost next year?

[Chorus]
Forward rates unlock the crystal ball
Implied rates hidden in the yield curve's call
From spots to forwards, do the math and see
Future interest carved in today's reality
Forward equals future, spots are now
Forward rates show tomorrow's vow

[Verse 2]
Take two bonds with different maturity
Their yields contain a puzzle piece
The longer bond must compensate somehow
For holding risk that won't decrease
Subtract the shorter from the longer term
And forward rates emerge from this algebra

[Chorus]
Forward rates unlock the crystal ball
Implied rates hidden in the yield curve's call
From spots to forwards, do the math and see
Future interest carved in today's reality
Forward equals future, spots are now
Forward rates show tomorrow's vow

[Bridge]
One plus spot one, times one plus spot two
Squared equals one plus forward true
Break it down and solve for what you need
Forward rate's the missing puzzle piece
When curves are steep, forwards climb high
When curves are flat, forwards barely fly

[Verse 3]
Forward curves can twist and turn and bend
They show where interest rates may wander
Sometimes they spike above today's yields
Sometimes they dip and meander
These implied forecasts built from bond math
Reveal the market's betting path

[Chorus]
Forward rates unlock the crystal ball
Implied rates hidden in the yield curve's call
From spots to forwards, do the math and see
Future interest carved in today's reality
Forward equals future, spots are now
Forward rates show tomorrow's vow

[Outro]
Every bond price tells tomorrow's story
Forward rates decode the hidden glory

← Spot Rates and the Spot Rate Curve | Par Curves and Yield Curve Relationships →