Is y=880 (1.958) * growth or decay and percentage rate

Answer: growth, rate is 95.8%

The base 1.958 is in the form 1+r where

1+r = 1.958

r = 1.958-1

r = 0.958

r = 95.8%

The value of r is positive indicating we have growth.

Contrast this to something like 1+r = 0.8 and that solves to r = - 0.20 = - 20% to indicate decay of 20%. In other words, if the base were some positive number less than 1, then you have decay. Otherwise, you have growth.

The initial value 880 does not affect the answer, so we completely ignore it.