Short for Annual Percentage Rate, APR is the measurement of how much cost you can borrow money. In terms of the loan, it tells you how much you will be required to pay per year on it, including all the associated costs, such as fees. APR is a more accurate tool that shows how much a loan is going to cost. That’s because it takes into consideration comparatively more information than just the interest rate.
WHAT IS APR?
It is one of the best and safest measurement methods for comparing the offers from different lenders and seeing which one is ruling the market in terms of great service for every borrower’s needs.
A lower rate is always helpful in fetching better results if all else holds equal. However, it should be noted that a loan with a low-interest rate is going to have the lowest APR. Nevertheless, it isn’t the case many times.
The measurement is essential, especially when deciding between two different options of advances with the same interest rate. This helps the borrower to keep a watchful eye on how much he/she is going to owe annually once they obtain the loan.
Different from the interest rate, the annual percentage rate considers fees and other costs and presents them as the comprehensive percentage of the sum of the loan per year. In simple words, it is the annual rate charged for a loan.
Whether your APR is fixed or variable is also an important facet to unleash. The fixed one doesn’t fluctuate over the entire lifespan of the loan. On the other hand, variable one can be adjusted based on the market environment. If you are willing to draw out accuracy regarding how much a personal loan will cost you over their life, then go for fixed ones. Whereas the chance of getting variable APR loans at a low cost is higher, so keep that in mind.
How Does It Affect Your Loan?
Annual Percentage Rate helps you save money when considering taking out a personal loan. Although it might be a bit of a headache to understand a complicated and numeric concept like APR, we can’t choose to ignore it as this measurement is an essential tool that helps us make strategic decisions.
Suppose a borrower desires to get a $10,000 advance, and therefore, shopping between two lenders. Both lenders try their best to compel the borrower to accept their offers. Their offer generally includes a loan of the needed amount. Here, what the borrower can do is check who among them is offering the loan amount with an APR. It should be clear by now that once with the APR is most likely to have the lower cost over the life of the lending.
How to Calculate It?
Simply combine the cost of fees with the total interest to be paid throughout the lifespan of the advance. Thereafter, divide the sum by the dollar amount of the lending. Now, take the number and again divide it by the number of days in a year, i.e., 365 days. Finally, multiply the resultant number by 100 to get the APR of the loan.
Ways to Secure a Reasonable APR
- Talk with multiple lenders to see their offers, including their rates, fees, and terms on otherwise comparable personal loans, before settling with one.
- Also, keep up with monthly bills to establish good credit and reduce unpredictable risks of hurting your credit rating.
- Only if it doesn’t go delinquent, using a credit card will help you build good credit.
- Improve your credit score because that can help you yield better conditions on the personal loan offers.
- By keeping your credit card at a zero balance from month to month, you can ensure an enhanced credit rating for you while minimizing the interest you pay.
In a nutshell, APR is a valuable tool that you can use to determine the borrowing cost of your personal loan.
