What is post-judgment interest?

It is the interest a money judgment earns from the date it is entered until it is paid. Each jurisdiction sets a statutory rate and a compounding rule, so a judgment creditor is owed both the principal and the interest that has accrued since entry.

Why do some states show a floating rate?

Many states tie their rate to a Treasury yield or the prime rate, so it changes weekly, quarterly, or annually. For those jurisdictions the tool prompts you to enter the current rate from the relevant index, because no fixed number stays accurate.

How is the federal post-judgment rate set?

Under 28 U.S.C. 1961 the federal rate equals the weekly average 1-year Treasury yield for the week before the judgment, compounded annually. Because it floats every week, you should enter the current published rate rather than rely on a stored default.

What is a per-diem interest figure?

The per-diem is the daily interest the judgment accrues, useful for settlement letters and pay-off quotes that change each day. The tool computes it on a simple basis as principal times annual rate divided by 365.

Is this legal advice?

No. The rates are statutory defaults that change and may be overridden by a contract rate or a specific court order. Always confirm against the current statute and any applicable agreement before relying on a figure in a filing or demand.

Post-Judgment Interest Rate Reference

A money judgment keeps earning interest from the day it is entered until it is paid, and the rate depends entirely on the jurisdiction. This reference embeds the statutory post-judgment interest rate and compounding rule for the federal courts and all 50 states, then calculates exactly how much interest a judgment has accrued.

How it works

Two formulas cover the compounding rules used across jurisdictions:

simple:           interest = principal × rate × years
annual compound:  total    = principal × (1 + rate)^years
                  interest = total − principal
years = days_since_entry / 365

Most states use simple interest at a fixed statutory rate. A handful compound annually, and many float to a Treasury or prime index — for those the tool asks you to enter the current rate so the accrual stays accurate.

Example

A $25,000 California judgment accrues simple interest at the statutory 10 percent. After one year that is $2,500 in interest, or roughly $6.85 per day, bringing the payoff to $27,500 plus any costs.

Notes

Statutory rates change, often annually, and a contract rate or a specific court order can override the default. States that index to a floating benchmark must be recalculated against the current published figure. Use this as a planning estimate and verify the controlling rate before relying on it in a demand or filing.