Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is probably the most common variable that you will come across while navigating financial products, such as credit cards, car loans, home mortgages, refinancing options, and other forms of financing. Take a quick look at your billing statement and you will see Annual Percentage Rate (APR) plastered all over the document. Contrary to common belief, however, APR is not as hard to calculate and certainly doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out.
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So, what is Annual Percentage Rate and how does it work?
A simplified Annual Percentage Rate definition would be something along the following lines:
“Annual Percentage Rate or APR is the annual rate you will be paying on the borrowed loan.”
In other words, it is the annualized cost of borrowing.
Here’s a simple example to demonstrate Annual Percentage Rate calculation:
Let’s say you borrowed $1,000 at a twenty percent Annual Percentage Rate. In this case your annual cost on the loan would be $200, assuming no other costs or fees are incurred during this time.
Is Annual Percentage Rate the same as interest rate?
Yes and no. Technically, there is a difference between interest rate and APR. While interest rate may be charged for a specified duration of time, Annual Percentage Rate is the rate you are expected to pay on an annual basis.
Generally, interest rate is computed either as simple interest or compound interest. If you borrow $100 at a 1% simple interest rate, your total repayment would amount to $101. If the interest rate is compounded, however, you will be required to pay interest on interest and your repayment amount would snowball to a much higher number than the original figure.
Annual Percentage Rate started making its way into financial products mostly in response to regulatory mandates (Truth In Lending Act) that required lenders and financial institutions to disclose the APR and empower consumers with a uniform basis to compare different financial products. Its purpose was to eliminate the confusion stemming from complex jargons and high pressure sales and marketing tactics.
Fixed and Variable APR
This extremely simple ignores the fact that there are different types of Annual Percentage Rates. The two most common types of APRs include Fixed APR and Variable APR.
Fixed APR, as the name suggests, does not fluctuate in response to market forces. There are certain conditions, however, where the Fixed APR may change, especially if you are late on your payments or if a contractually-agreed “trigger point” kicks in. Ideally, the company should send you an advance notice if your Annual Percentage Rate changes and although you have the option to disagree with the increase, you may lose your relationship with the provider and be forced to pay the remaining balance in full.
Variable APR, on the other hand, is tied to a market index — generally the Prime Rate (the interest rate charged to banks and other financial institutions). Your lender may charge a fixed percentage above and beyond the prime rate. Example: Prime Rate + 9%.
The Prime Rate is published on several financial websites, including The Wall Street Journal.
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How does credit card APR work
Credit cards follow a slightly different protocol while calculating your APR. In that, they consider your Average Daily Balance into the formula for calculating APR. While the formula compounds your interest rate calculation, there is one advantage that you can enjoy. If you pay off your balance in full, you will not have to pay the interest rate. Most individuals do carry a balance, however, and end up paying extremely high interest rates during the course of their credit card ownership.
Note: If you are in the market for an auto loan or a home mortgage, the computation may be slightly different and will be mostly determined by the contract terms. Other fees and charges may be included.
What do low APR offers mean?
You may have come across aggressive commercials touting low APR for X number of months or 0% APR for 18, 24, or even 36 months. As promising as these offers sound — and they are great for the duration — you must understand that once the introductory period lapses, your interest rates will be pushed to a higher number that is spelled out in the contract. Furthermore, not everyone qualifies for these lucrative deals, so unless your credit history is spectacular, you may not be able to take advantage of the low or 0% APR offer.
What does 0% introductory APR (or intro APR) on balance transfer mean?
As the name suggests, the 0% introductory (or intro) Annual Percentage Rate is applicable on balance transfers only. Let’s say you owe Credit Card X $1,000 and your current APR is 19% fixed. If you transfer your balance to Credit Card Y, you will be able to take advantage of a 0% introductory rate for a certain number of months. The advantage of such programs is that whatever amount you pay every month will be counted toward the principal balance and not the interest rate.
As the terms indicate, the promotional rate is valid on balance transfers only so if you go and make a purchase with the promotional credit card, you may not be able to take advantage of the low interest rates and could, in fact, be surprised with a much higher rate on your billing statement.
Caveat: You should be careful. As soon as the introductory period lapses, your interest rate will bounce back to a greater rate, which, in some cases, could be much higher than your original APR.
What does 0% intro APR on purchases mean?
Some credit cards offer an introductory APR that is valid for both balance transfers and purchases during the promotional period. In this case, your purchases would enjoy a 0% APR as well.
Sound familiar? You may have seen car commercials offering the 0% intro APR benefit for the first few months of your vehicle purchase. If you are unsure as to how APR calculations work, there are several free online APR calculators that will allow you to plug in numbers and generate an easy-to-understand number.
What APR does not include
Some loan applications will disclose other costs, such as origination fees, closing costs, finance charges, and other costs associated with financing. Generally, these terms are applicable with home mortgage loans, refinance applications, and car loans.
Look beyond Annual Percentage Rate
The variable is just one of the many factors that must be considered while evaluating the merits of a loan or credit card offer. There could be several other factors that could tilt the favor of your decision toward another provider. For example, a certain company may offer 0% APR but other costs (such as an annual fee) may be imposed or the grace period may be reduced.
While comparing different financial products, pay close attention to the terms and conditions. The contract should spell out all the details of the offer and help you make an informed decision.
We hope you enjoyed our article What Is Annual Percentage Rate And How Does It Work. If so, please do let us know in the comments.
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