
How You Can Drive Home Savings with a Low APR Car Loan Considering that the national average APR on a credit card currently sits at about 16%, you can also see how choosing one of our credit cards could save you thousands of dollars if you’re planning to carry a balance. In the table above, you can see the impact that APR has on the length of time to pay off debt, as well as the total interest paid. The table below shows how various APRs can impact the time it would take to pay it off, as well as the total amount of interest paid. In either case, it’s especially important to choose a credit card with a low APR to minimize how much you’ll need to pay back.Ĭonsider the following scenario where you have a $5,000 balance on your credit card. At times, however, you may find yourself needing to carry a balance on a credit card to make ends meet or to purchase necessities, like groceries or an unforeseen car repair. In a perfect world, you wouldn’t spend more than you have. Take a look at the following examples to see how choosing a loan with a low interest rate can lead to significant savings.

While these other factors play a large role in how much interest you’ll pay over time, the actual interest rate, or APR, is often the most impactful when considering the total cost of a loan. How often the interest on your loan compounds will impact how much you’ll end up paying in interest. Then, the next time interest is calculated, you’ll pay interest on this new principal amount.

Compounding: When the interest on a loan compounds, the interest you’ve accrued becomes part of the principal balance of the loan.Usually, the longer the term, the more you’ll pay back in interest over the life of the loan. Loan term: Installment loans have a loan term, or amount of time the lender expects you to pay the loan in full.Installment loans are typically paid back in set payments that include predetermined principal and interest amounts, while the interest on credit cards depends on how much of a balance you’re carrying on the card. Loan type: Interest rates may be calculated differently for installment loans, like a mortgage or auto loan, than for revolving credit loans, such as a credit card.In addition to the interest rate itself, there are other factors that impact how much interest you’ll pay on a loan, both on a monthly basis and over time. The interest rate – also referred to as APR (Annual Percentage Rate) – you’re given has an impact on the total cost of the loan, as it determines how much interest you’ll pay. Traditionally, your monthly payments go toward both repaying the principal (the original amount you borrowed) and paying interest on the amount you’ve borrowed.

When you’re borrowing money from a financial institution, you’ll typically have to pay that money back, with interest. How Do Interest Rates Affect the Cost of a Loan? You’ve heard us talk about our low rates and how they can help you save, but how exactly does that work? Read on to learn about how interest rates impact the cost of a loan and see examples of how lower rates can save you money both now and in the long run.
