Present value is important because it allows investors to judge whether or not the price they pay for an investment is appropriate. For example, in our previous example, having a 12% discount rate would reduce the present value of the investment to only $1,802.39. In that scenario, we would be very reluctant to pay more than that amount for the investment, since our present value calculation indicates that we could find better opportunities elsewhere. Present value calculations like this play a critical role in areas such as investment analysis, risk management, and financial planning.