Understanding Interest Rates
No matter the loan you want to take, the interest rates are an unavoidable topic for you to understand first. They are a crucial factor in your financial planning, and with knowing how they work, it can guarantee you will stay on top of your budget. Let’s look at what interest is, how it’s calculated, and how it can affect your financial freedom.
Many people overlook the interest rates which leaves them blindfolded until after they took out a loan and need to pay it all back. Getting familiar with what is the interest rate and how they work can help you budget everything in without getting unpleasant surprises down the road. If you use them to your advantage, they can help you save money on your mortgage, car loan, and other loans.
The interest rate is the rate at which you borrow money. It’s granted as a percentage and often mistaken to be the same as the annual percentage rate (APR). The higher your interest rate is, the higher the cost of borrowing money will be. The Federal Reserve sets the federal funds rate, which is the lowest interest rate available on the market. This affects all the other rates and can have a huge impact on your borrowing costs.
What Exactly Are Interest Rates?
The interest rate in a definition is the amount of money that you will be charged on top of your loan or the rate at which your saving account will earn. They are typically expressed as a percentage. Lower rates are offered on shorter-term loans and higher rates on longer ones or to individuals with a bad credit score. This doesn’t have to always be the case, but if the repaying period is long, the lenders will typically see this as a higher-risk loan because there is a chance for these payments to pile up and for you to default on the loan.
If you are interested in current interest rates regarding the loan you want to take out, you can just call your bank or search online on how to calculate interest rate yourself. Interest rates also change over time, based on market fluctuations or changes in government policy so keep that in mind.
How Do Interest Rates Work?
Interest rates are the percentage banks or other lenders add to the total cost of your loan. Once you apply for a loan a lender will look at your application and based on many factors determine an interest rate for your loan. Simply put, interest rates are determined by supply and demand factors, as well as economic indicators. Small interest fees are also associated with a variety of transactions and are charged once you perform them.
The Federal Reserve sets the interest rate for U.S. Treasury bonds, which impacts borrowing costs for businesses and consumers.
Interest rates are based on a number of factors such as the amount of money you want to take out, the duration of your loan, the type of loan you are applying for, and of course your credit score. All these factors are taken into consideration but weighted out differently in determining the interest fees for different loan types.
There is even an interest rate calculator available for you online and once you put in this basic information regarding your loan it will give you a general idea of what your borrowing costs will be.
APR vs. Interest Rates: What’s the Difference?
APR stands for Annual Percentage Rate, while the interest rate is the amount you pay per period. This period can vary depending on the loan type and be daily, weekly, or most commonly- monthly.
The key difference between the two is that APR reflects the total cost of borrowing money over a period of time, while interest rates only show the cost of borrowing money today.
APR is a broader measure than the interest rate. It also includes other fees associated with a loan that interest rate does not like broker fee, origination fee, etc. Because it includes all of this, your APR percentage is usually higher than your interest rate percentage.
How Are Interest Rates Determined?
Interest rates are determined by banks and other lenders, who calculate them based on a variety of factors. Bank interest rates are often higher than the rates of other lenders, but there are other perks if you decide to choose a bank. Lenders use your credit score, your current income, and some other factors to determine how risky is it for them to approve and issue you a loan. The higher the risk is, the higher the interest rates are.
Key factors in determining the rates also differ depending on the loan type. Mortgage interest rates will for example depend on your home location, its price, the down payment you are able to provide, loan term as well as your income and credit score.
Why Are Interest Rates Important?
When you decide to borrow money from a lender, the interest that you pay is a percentage of the amount that you borrow. The higher the interest rate, the more expensive will be to borrow money and the more will there be for you to pay back. They are important because it determines how much money you can earn if you decide to open a savings account. From the lenders’ perspective, these interest fees are profit they will make by lending you the money you need.
If you already took out a loan but didn’t research different factors affecting your interest rate, there is also a possibility to refinance a loan and get better interest rates.
Bottom Line
Interest rates on loans and mortgages are a big part of determining how much money you will need to pay back over time. They are calculated based on a number of factors, including the current market conditions and your credit score. While we cannot tell you which lender to choose and what loan to take out, we gave you an in-depth explanation of what are interest rates and how they are used.
Depending on your needs and goals, but also your personal situation, the loan type you can take will differ, but be sure no matter the type, you shop around to get a better loan offer. In case this all gets a little bit confusing to you, we recommend you reach out to a financial advisor if you don’t already have one. This will help you get an unbiased opinion and make the best decision for your situation.
