Problem $9-9$ Growth Rate

The newspaper reported last week that Chen Enterprises earned $$34\mathrm{.}16$ million this year. The report also stated that the firm$$s return on equity is $15$ percent. The firm retains $70$ percent of its earnings.

a$.$ What is the firm's earnings growth rate? $($Do not round intermediate calculations and enter your answer as a percent rounded to $2$ decimal places, e$.$g$.,32\mathrm{.}16.)$

b$.$ What will next year's earnings be$?($Do not round intermediate calculations and enter your answer in dollars, not millions of dollars, rounded to the nearest whole number, e$.$g$.,1,234,567.)$