Having some knowledge of how to calculate finance charges is always a good thing. Most lenders, as you know, will do this for you, but it can helpful to be able to check the math yourself. It is important, however, to understand that what is presented here is a basic procedure for calculating finance charges and your lender may be using a more complicated method. There may also be other issues attached with your loan which may affect the charges.
The first thing to understand is that there are two basic parts to a loan. The first issue is called the principal. This is the amount of money that is borrowed. The lender wants to make a profit for his services (lending you the money) and this is called interest. There are many types of interest from simple to variable. This article will examine simple interest calculations.
In simple interest deals, the amount of the interest (expressed as a percentage) does not change over the life of the loan. This is often called flat rate or fixed interest.
The simple interest formula is as follows:
Interest = Principal Rate Time Interest is the total amount of interest paid. Principal is the amount lent or borrowed. Rate is the percentage of the principal charged as interest each year.
To do your math, the rate must be expressed as a decimal, so percentages must be divided by 100. For example, if the rate is 18%, then use 18/100 or 0.18 in the formula.
Time is the time in years of the loan. The simple interest formula is often abbreviated: I = P R T
Simple interest math problems can be used for borrowing or for lending. The same formulas are used in both cases.
When money is borrowed, the total amount to be paid back equals the principal borrowed plus the interest charge:
Total repayments = principal + interest
Usually the money is paid back in regular installments, either monthly or weekly. To calculate the regular payment amount, you divide the total amount to be repaid by the number of months (or weeks) of the loan.
To convert the loan period, 'T', from years to months, you multiply it by 12. To convert 'T' to weeks, you multiply by 52, since there are 52 weeks in a year.
Here is an example problem to illustrate how this works.
Example:
A single mother purchases a used car by obtaining a simple interest loan. The car costs $1500, and the interest rate that she is being charged on the loan is 12%. The car loan is to be paid back in weekly installments over a period of 2 years. Here is how you answer these questions:
1. What is the amount of interest paid over the 2 years? 2. What is the total amount to be paid back? 3. What is the weekly payment amount?
You were given: principal: 'P' = $1500, interest rate: 'R' = 12% = 0.12, repayment time: 'T' = 2 years.
Step 1: Find the amount of interest paid.
Interest: 'I' = PRT = 1500 x 0.12 x 2 = $360
Step 2: Find the total amount to be paid back.
Total repayments = principal + interest = $1500 + $360 = $1860
Step 3: Calculate the weekly payment amount.
Weekly payment amount = total repayments divided by loan period, T, in weeks. In this case, $1860 divided by 104 weeks equals $17.88 per week.
Calculating simple finance charges is easy once you have done some practice with the formulas.
A credit card finance charge is the amount of money that you pay to the credit card company in order to use their credit. This is not the same as the purchase amount balance. The purchase amount balance is the dollar amount of the purchases that you made using the card. If you pay off the purchase amount balance within the stated amount of time that the company allows, you will have no finance charges applied to the amount. It is when you carry over your balance that finance charges are triggered and added to your account.
Finance charges are calculated using the amount of your outstanding balance and APR. The APR is the Annual Percentage Rate and all credit cards use them to figure finance charges. It is important for consumers to understand that the ARP can vary from one company to the next, and it can even vary within the same company. It is for this reason that consumers should always look for the companies with the lowest APR's. This will save you money in the long run.
There are several ways that credit card companies can calculate the finance charges that they apply to consumer credit. Many people do not realize it but the method that is used can make a difference in the amount of money that you will have to pay. Here are some of the methods that credit card companies use to figure finance charges on your outstanding balance:
They can calculate using one billing cycle or two billing cycles.
They can use the adjusted balance, previous balance, or the average daily balance.
They can exclude or include new purchases in the balance.
You will normally find that you have a lower finance charge when the company uses what is known as one-cycle billing and uses the average daily balance method which excludes new purchases. Much of this, however, depends on the balance and the time of the month that you make purchases and payments.
The next lower finance charge method is the adjusted balance, followed by the previous balance method. You can see which method the company is using by reading the bill that you receive. This information is usually contained on the back side.
It is also important that you understand that some companies will have a minimum finance charge system. When a credit card company uses this system you will be charged that set amount even if your calculated finance charge is less than that amount.
Of particular importance to some credit card holders are the cash advance programs that come with some cards. Consumers should be very careful when using credit cards for cash advances. Many companies that offer cash advances treat those advances differently than they do purchases. Before you use your credit card for a cash advance, make sure you look for the details of how you will be charged for that advance.
You will certainly want to know what the APR is for cash advances. Keep in mind that this may be significantly higher than the APR that is used for purchases. You should also investigate the fees that may be applied to the transaction. Fees are in addition to the finance charge that you will have to pay.
Lastly, find out how your payments will be credited. Some companies will apply your payments to your purchases first and then to any advances in cash that you have taken.
Use your credit card wisely and keep track of your finance charges and you will enjoy your credit more fully and avoid some of the pitfalls that many consumers experience.
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